Intelligence and security negligence led to the murder of State Congress Party president Nand Kumar Patel along with 23 other including 11 Congressmen in Darbha area of Bastar on a grim Saturday, said Congress party.
Union Minister of State Home RPN Singh said that the incident as absolute failure of intelligence. He said, “This is a total failure of intelligence” and added that a high-level probe will be ordered and strict action will be taken against guilty. It may be mentioned that Maoists slain Congress Party leader Nand Kumar Patel was on the target of Maoists, and since 2011 they had attacked him thrice.
In a telephonic conversation with The Pioneer Shailesh Nitin Trevedi spokesmen State Congress party said, “At any place where late Nand Kumar Patel moved prior information was sent to the district Superintendent of Police (SP) and SP was then responsible for making security arrangements.”
He claimed that besides knowing that a huge political rally like Parivatan Yatra was being organised in Sukma, the major part of force was shifted to some other place in the name of camp.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (Naxal Operations) RK Viz claimed, “Proper security cover was given to the Congressmen as there were VIP like Mahendra Karma, Nand Kumar Patel, Kawasi lakhma and others in the convey.”
We had provided a bullet-proof vehicle to Mahendra Karma though he was not sitting in it,” said ADGP and added that enough police deployment was also made on the way as well.
Vivek Bajpai, who is the eyewitness to brutal murder of Mahendra Karma, said that frail security arrangements were made with the carcade. “Only few armed guards of police were present with Mahendra Karma, otherwise there was near about no security arrangement, which led to the deadly incident,” said Bajpai.
Notably few days before this mass murder of Congressmen and others the insurgents had warned the State Government over taking out of political yatra in the region. However the warning was overlooked and no proper security cover was given to the top Congress leader in State.