Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi/Raipur: As investigations into Saturday`s deadly Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh`s Darbha Valley continue, it has emerged that the security apparatus apparently was aware of the presence of Naxals in the area.
Reports on Wednesday said there was `specific intelligence` as regards Maoists` presence.
Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders, leaving 24 people dead, among them two top state party leaders.
As per reports, there were intelligence inputs about Maoists` movement in the area but none of them were taken seriously in the manner that these translated into any action against the Reds.
State intelligence believes at least 500 Naxals were involved in the attack, compared to half the number out earlier.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police of Jagdalpur has been suspended in connection with the case. The Congress leaders were travelling to Jagdalpur when the attack took place.
The state government has also transferred Inspector General of Bastar district Himanshu Gupta to CID, and shunted out Bastar Collector P Anbalagan.
Also, DGP Ramniwas has now been given the responsibility to personally supervise all VIP security in the state.
The Union Home Ministry, following a preliminary assessment, has found that individual police stations in the area were looking after the security of the Congress leaders; instead, it should have been taken care of by senior police officials of the state.
The state government has, meanwhile, formed a one-member judicial commission headed by Bilaspur High Court Justice Prashant Mishra to investigate the attack. The probe report is likely to be submitted within three months.
Meanwhile, BJP president Rajnath Singh will visit Chhattisgarh today and meet the family members of Congress leaders Nand Kumar Patel, Mahendra Karma and others killed in the Maoist attack.
