A security audit of political leaders, security camps and vital installations is underway in Maoist-hotbed Bastar after agencies received multiple reports of a huge attack being planned by Maoists. Several intel inputs indicate Maoists are planning to attack one or more locations to kill security forces, loot the weapons, and to try and kidnap or even kill political figures in the area. All police stations in South Bastar have been put on high alert.
As recently as on Tuesday, Maoists had abducted a local Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, Santosh Punem, in Bijapur district of Bastar. His dead body was spotted by villagers on the roadside a day later. According to sources, he was hacked to death and his throat was slit.
The most recent input police received is in the form of a wireless intercept. Police sources say that in the intercept, two senior Maoist leaders, talking in the Gondi language, are hinting at a big attack on political leaders to be carried out "early morning" in the coming few days. According to sources, the two leaders can also be heard discussing a possible big strike on security camps.
"We have been getting such inputs constantly through mobile phone intercepts, radio interceptions and through our network. This particular input is about a large-scale presence of Maoist cadre from West and South Bastar. We have also received information about Maoists trying to attack police lines and police camps, and about their attempts to kidnap or kill political people," Dantewada Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Pallava, said.
He also added that police had already informed all the Z+ protected present and former MLAs about the input they have received and asked them to remain alert.
"Dantewada is a huge challenge for us because most people with Z+ protection work and live here. IEDs are a huge challenge. We are auditing the existing security arrangements of political leaders and improving wherever it is required," he added.
This isn't the only information that the police have received. Security agencies in Raipur and in the capital have received multiple inputs about a big attack by Maoists in Bastar in the coming days. Security agencies sense an urgency by the Maoist cadres given the end of Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC).
Between March and June, before heavy rains impair visibility and bring operations in Bastar to a halt, CPI(Maoist) open a full throttle armed assault against forces which they call the Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign. This time the TCOC is expected to wind up by June 30. Within 10 days from now, as heavy rains impair vision and hamper counter-insurgency operations in Bastar, Maoists are expected to run away to safety of dense jungles for the next couple of months.
In a recent note, issued by state police's South Bastar division on Wednesday to senior officials in the police force, CRPF and CISF, police officials have stated, “We have learnt from trusted sources that Devji alias Kumma Dada from the Central Military Commission (CMC) along with Darbha division members have planned an attack, in huge numbers, in Dantewada in an attempt to loot weapons and ammunition," the alert, marked confidential, says.
Yet another input has been received by senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs that has pointed out to presence of around 60 Maoists in a village in Sukma. It states that large quantities of ration were being supplied to this village to feed, what is believed to be, a reserve party of Maoists that have one or more camps of forces on their crosshairs.
In multiple locations around National Highway 30 also agencies have reported multiple sightings of CPI(Maoist) cadres.
Security agencies believe that the inputs about the heavy presence of Maoists in multiple areas is not a false alarm given an increase in the number of killings of civilians that is usually preceded by a big strike. "We have often observed that Maoists, in what they believe is an exercise in creating order and plugging leaks, tend to make a public spectacle of killing civilians in the areas from where they launch big attacks," said a senior home ministry official.
In this year alone, around 20 civilians have been reportedly killed by Maoists. "Murders of more civilians indicates greater mobilisation by Maoists this year as compared to previous years," the official added.
"There have been several reports of Maoists carrying out extensive reconnaissance in different areas of Bastar. From what we understand, they're looking to use IEDs, spikes and ambush against us," the official added requesting anonymity.
Ever since the reports of Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj replacing the former general secretary of CPI (Maoist) Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganpathy, agencies have been on their toes to neutralise a big 'Darbha Ghati' style attack by the red extremists since Basavaraj, former chief of CMC, is known to prefer guns over talks.
(With inputs from Raunak Shivhare)
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