Bastar police succeeded in thwarting the bid of Maoists to smuggle in large quantity of explosives to disrupt the ensuing poll with seizing 1,500 detonators and 3,000 metres of fuse wire from an Odisha bus. The police have arrested two persons in this connection.
According to Nagarnar Thana In-charge Surendra Uike, the police had received information that some people were bringing large quantity of explosives by an Odisha State Transport Corporation bus to be delivered to Maoists. After barricading the road quickly the said bus was stopped at Nagarnar Thana and searched thoroughly.
During the search police unearthed 1,500 detonators packed in bags were kept in dickey of the bus along with 3 thousand metres of fuse wire. The police seized the explosives.
In this connection, police arrested driver of the bus Imam Will and conductor Sushant Kumar Behra. During the interrogation, the duo informed the police that someone from Jepore, an Odisha town located near inter-state border, had put the bags to receive which some persons were scheduled to reach at Jagdalpur bus stand. Driver and conductor of the bus had been paid heavily for carrying the consignment even if they denied having knowledge of the explosives packed in bags.
According to Uike, police are now seriously investigating about the persons who were to receive the consignment. With the seizure of such a large quantity of explosives, it became clear that Maoist insurgents are preparing to unleash large scale violence during the ensuing Assembly poll as they have already issued the diktat of boycotting it.