No arrests yet in Maoist attack

TAMAR/BUNDU/RANCHI, July 1: The Jharkhand police have not been able to arrest anyone in connection to last afternoon’s Maoist attack on a long range patrol party of the police, which resulted in the death of five police personnel, including the DSP of Bundu, Pramod Kumar Sinha. However three locals have been detained and are being questioned for leads.
The entire Punidiri and adjoining areas of Tamar have been sealed off by the police and CRPF, JAP and the state police, under Mohammed Nehal, SP (Ranchi Rural), are continuing combing operations to flush out the extremists. Meanwhile, initial investigations into the attack indicated that it was a well planned one and executed by a group of around 100 heavily armed extremists. Pramod Kumar was already on the hit list of the Maoists, after he stepped up patrolling and combing operations across Tamar and Bundu, in Ranchi district, following the daring loot of cash and gold of the ICICI Bank.
Investigators believe that the extremists who laid the landmine and planned the attack on the police, belong to the Kundan Pahan faction. Sources in the state police meanwhile told The Statesman that so many casualties need not have occurred if prescribed precautions had been taken by the police party.
“Time and again, we have stressed on the fact, that the patrolling party should not follow the same route while going and coming back for any operation in the remote areas. Moreover, it has been repeatedly informed to the police officers serving in the extremism affected districts, that they should avoid use of vehicles during long range patrolling. None of these guidelines were followed yesterday. n SNS