About 100 to 150 armed Maoists on Saturday morning stopped a bus coming from Orchha to Narayanpur and searched it near Mahrabeda. They asked the driver and conductor of the bus not to carry police personnel in their vehicle. The insurgents also warned the bus driver against carrying even luggage of policemen.
The sudden check by a large number of armed rebels created fear among passengers as well as bus operators.Notably, news of presence of a large number of armed Naxals near Mahrabeda area of Narayanpur afterthe May 25 attack on Congress convoy returning from Sukma hasstarted trickling in from sources there.
Meanwhile, the rebels put up a banner on Narayanpur-Kurushnar road on Friday night registering their protest against Edasmeta encounter in Bijapur district in which seven people were killed. The banner created panic among passers-by.
Fearing presence of some explosive material near the banner, a team comprising Central Reserve Police Force jawans and bomb disposal squad was sent to the spot from the district headquarters.
Though the team did not get any explosive device, it seized the banner and increased searching in the area.