The Maoist contingent that attacked the Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh on Saturday has dispersed into splinter groups even as CRPF and CoBRA battalion launched operation at Tulsi Dongri and Elignar village near Darbha, where the massacre happened. Another major “search and destroy” operation will be launched on Wednesday morning in Bijapur.
Inputs with the agencies suggest the Maoist were desperate to carry out major offensive to boost the morale of their cadres who were demoralised after the killing of several top Maoists leaders and foray of the security forces in the so-called liberated zones. A month ago, a meeting of top Naxal leaders, engaged in the ongoing Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign, had decided to carry out a major attack. Attack on CRPF camp was ruled out by the Naxal commanders as they feared heavy casualties on their side.
Sources said as a massive hunt continues to locate the “killer” Maoists gang, the splinter groups are in the lookout for an escape to safer locations within Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
The security forces are zeroing on Bastar regional committee commander Katakam Sudarshan and Surender of Darbha Ghati local area committee, who are suspected to have played a key role in the horrendous attack on a convoy of top Congress leaders. Preliminary probe points out that a fair-complexioned Andhraite was giving directions to these two leaders to execute the murders.
Satellite and UAV imageries suggest a group could be holed up at Tulsi Dongri and Elignar as both these villages are dotted with water sources, a key necessity for survival in hot summer, sources in the CRPF said.
The conspiracy to execute this attack was hatched in a short span of five days as the Congress had informed the State police on May 20 about their rally at Sukma and Darbha.
The preliminary probe by the NIA has pointed out to the strong possibility of a conspiracy as alleged by some senior Congress leaders, including Minister of State for Agriculture Charan Das Mahant.
The call logs of the VHF sets of the security personnel accompanying the convoy and call data records of mobile phones of the members of the convoy are also being scrutinised in order to ascertain the sequence of events. While senior NIA officers reached Raipur on Monday morning, the investigators have now fanned out to Jagdalpur in search of leads, agency sources added.
Meanwhile, a BSF constable was on Tuesday injured when an IED planted by the Naxals in Kanker district exploded during an area domination exercise. Bal sustained injury in his right leg and his condition is stable. Four more IEDs were defused by the BSF after this incident, a BSF spokesperson said here.