Maoists torched five vehicles and beat up labourers in Giridih, a day ahead of DGP DK Pandey’s visit to Peertand and Madhuban Police Stations and Natkatto picket of the district on Friday, while he was on a spree of visiting police stations located in the Naxal-hit areas in pursuance of Chief Minister Raghubar Das’ directive.
The DGP on Friday visited Topchanchi police station in Dhanbad, after visiting one police station each in Ranchi and Ramgarh on Thursday.
Incidentally, a group of Maoists stormed into a road construction site at Jobhi within the limits of Madhuban police station in Giridih late in the night on Thursday and set ablaze five vehicles of the construction company. Sources confirmed that the vehicles damaged in the arson by the ultras included a Hywa truck, one bolero jeep, two tractors and two motorbikes.
Police said that a group of around 40 Maoists, including some female cadres, reached the camp site of Maa Tara Road Construction Company located near Jobhi area on Dhawatar –Tesafuli road at around 7pm.
“They forced the staffs of the construction firm to leave the place and torched the vehicles stationed there after taking out diesel from the vehicles parked there,” said a local.
Some of the staffs were also beaten up by the Maoists who have been identified as Mahesh Mali, Shivnath Yadav, Sandip Kumar and Dhaneshwar Mahto of Hazaribagh. All have been admitted in Meena private hospital at Dumari in Giridih.
According to police sources, the construction firm was involved in road construction work of a stretch of the road that connects Dhawatard to Tesafuli in Giridih district.
Before leaving the spot, the Maoists also left behind some posters criticising the development programme of the state government terming them to be benefitting the contractors.
Taking a serious note of the attack, Giridih Superintendent of Police Akhilesh V Varier reached Madhuban and termed the recent arson of Maoists as part of their plan to divert attention of security personnel from other places. The SP has directed the local police and CRPF to intensify combing operation against Maoists. Additional security forces have been rushed to Madhuban, considered Maoist-affected areas as it shares border with neighboring districts, said the SP.
Meanwhile, Dhanbad SSP Manoj Ratan Chothe, after the DGP held a meeting, said, “Basically he is doing Naxal review by visiting different police stations located in the Naxal-affected areas. During the visit, he told us to be prepared to tackle any situation and we will have to think like guerillas to take on guerillas.”
“The DGP also pointed out some of the minor shortcomings in the barrack and directed us to remove them so that the jawans living in it do not have to face any problem,” he added.
Pandey also suggested the policemen stationed in the police station to ensure that standard operating procedure is followed during lRPs and carry ration along with them in ample quantity during operations. “He also reviewed the pending cases in the police station and directed us to expedite in disposal of these cases,” the official said.