Dantewada massacre: Probe hints at lack of police support

NEW DELHI - The Chhattisgarh police did not fully support the central paramilitary troopers, thus failing to prevent the April 6 Maoist attack in which 76 security personnel were killed, a government-appointed committee probing the Dantewada massacre has found, well informed sources said Monday.

The probe by the E.N. Rammohan Committee has highlighted Chhattisgarh police’s lack of cohesiveness and their alleged failure to support the central paramilitary forces in anti-Maoist operations in the state, sources said.

According to sources, top police official in Dantewada may be summoned by the Union home ministry to Delhi for the “lapses”.

“It has been found that the police support to the (Central Reserve Police Force) CRPF personnel (who were targeted in the April 6 ambush) was was less than desired,” an official said, speaking strictly on the condition of anonymity.

“There is evidence in the report suggesting that the CRPF team (of 62 Battalion that came under attack) diverted from the earmarked patrol task within a specific grid and moved in and around the area on its own where they were attacked by the Naxals,” the official said.

The report, submitted to the home ministry Saturday, has suggested a re-look into “tactical” security operations against Maoist rebels.

Rammohan, a former Border Security Force (BSF) head and a veteran of anti-militancy operations in Kashmir and the northeast, told IANS that the report was “prepared and submitted” as per the deadline which ended Saturday.

“I am sorry, I am not authorised to speak on the findings. They are classified,” Rammohan said, refusing to divulge details of the report.

The probe committee head toured the ambush site in Dantewada forest and met civil, police and paramilitary officials, villagers and the injured troopers. He also met Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh last week to discuss the anti-Maoist operations.

He has analysed details of mobile telephone calls made by the CRPF personnel during the attack.

Rammohan was appointed as a one-man panel to probe the Dantewada massacre two days after the attack.

The panel’s terms of reference included determining the sequence of events leading to the massacre and analysing and establishing the command structure of the security personnel there.