In view of fierce encounter between the security forces and ultras, the police in West Singhbhum district have embarked on long-range patrolling (lRP) in the rebel-infested areas of the district.
The police and paramilitary forces have started the drive to nab dreaded Maoist Kundan Pahan, which the forces suspect to be present in the jungles. All the police stations in the three districts of the division including East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela Kharsawan are on alert and patrolling has been intensified.
“As per our intelligence inputs during the encounter with paramilitary forces began on Tuesday Kundan Pahan was very much present at the camp and had participated in the encounter, which had lasted for over eight hours. We have asked the authorities to keep a strict vigil in the areas,” noted an official.
It may be mentioned that paramilitary forces and police destroyed a huge rebel-camp at Tebo valley under Bandhgaon police station area in West Singhbhum on Wednesday. The rebel camp which was razed was largest ever found in West Singhbhum and was spread in half-a-kilometer radius. Elaborating on the rebel camp West Singhbhum SP, Pankaj Kamboj said: “As the camp was located atop a hill, there was no watch tower as such, but the camp was well-guarded by rebel-pickets set up at all the strategic angle”. Apart from the rebel-pickets for keeping an eye on any outsiders, especially the police, there was over a dozen bunkers in the camp.
He said that from the topography of the camp, it could be assumed that at the sprawling camp the Maoists had the infrastructure of holding armed training, the facility of explosive manufacturing and holding meeting on regular basis. The camp had also an enclosure for medical care. Sources informed that apart from ensuring deployment of addition police and paramilitary forces, the operations and patrolling had been intensified to check the possibility of entry of Maoists from neighbouring states. Strict vigil is being kept in Maoist-affected pockets of the district.
Kamboj stated that the camp that they destroyed was under the direct control of dreaded rebel Kundan Pahan. Speaking about the anti-insurgency operation, Kamboj who had been to the place of occurrence himself the operation is still on surrounding the Tebo valley where an unspecified number of CRPF troopers have been engaged for the purpose.