Pre-poll Ops: Forces injure themselves with no Maoist in sight

Ranchi, March 13

Six Jharkhand security personnel - including an Additional SP - managed to injure themselves in two separate incidents on Thursday, two days after 15 of their Chhattisgarh counterparts were killed in a CPI-Maoist ambush.

At least two CRPF personnel were injured in an alleged cross-firing incident in Latehar district in the morning, while four were airlifted to a Ranchi hospital from Chatra district in the afternoon when an CPI-Maoist IED they were trying to defuse went off.

First reports indicate that the Chatra incident was the result of a major lapse in terms of following Standard Operating Procedures, with the Additional SP attempting to defuse the IED even as the bomb squad was on its way.

With elections on the horizon, both the police as well as LWE organisations in the state have stepped up activities. Thursday’s setback to the police comes after a series of quality arrests of CPI-Maoist and PLFI commanders in Palamu and Khunti districts through the week.

Additional SP (Ops) R.S. Mishra, constables Kamra Vikram and Satbir Singh of the CRPF's 134th Battalion and ASI Manoj Toppo of the state police were injured when trying to defuse an IED in Chatra. "This happened within Pratappur Police Station, bordering Palamu. They had gone to defuse the IED placed near a bridge after obtaining specific intelligence input," said Prashant Kumar Karn, Chatra SP.

Mishra, on deputation from the CRPF, has reportedly damaged a leg and is critical. All four have been airlifted to Ranchi's Apollo Hospital.

A senior police officer said that the Chatra incident could have been avoided. "The Additional SP used to be an instructor on IEDs with the CRPF. He was confident that he could defuse it on his own and decided not to wait for the arrival of the Bomb Disposal and Detection Squad, which had started from its base in Hazaribagh district," said the officer on condition of anonymity.

The source said that officer Sharma had tried to defuse by using a rope, whereby the circuits are pulled out by tying a rope to them and then pulling from a safe distance. "Sharma underestimated the radius of the blast, which is why all the injured have been hit under the knee. The SOP for a situation like this is simple - isolate the area and wait for the BDDS to arrive, however late that may be. Even if it takes a day," said the officer.

In Latehar, Deputy Commandant Vivek Ojha and Sub Inspector Ashok Kumar Singh of the 214th Battalion suffered bullet injuries when two teams involved in a combing operation came up against each other in Garu Police Station limits at around 9.30 in the morning. Their condition is stable after admission to Apollo Hospital.

"Our information is that there was a confusion between two parties and that it did not involve the Maoists. It was an accidental firing between two police parties," said Latehar SP Michael Raj.

The state's DGP refused to concede that it was a case of friendly fire. "There are doubts, but we should have an inquiry first," said DGP Rajeev Kumar.

The last major case of cross-fire in Jharkhand was in Khunti district in July, 2012 when two CRPF personnel were killed and five injured. A DIG-level inquiry had been ordered into the incident, but its findings remain unknown.