A DAY after an IED blast killed seven CRPF personnel, CRPF DG K Durga Prasad said on Thursday that “there was some sort of a leak” of information about movement of the security forces, which could be “from within or outside”. [related-post] Questions are also being raised on whether the standard operating procedure was followed, with indications that there was no “road opening party” that cleared the road before the CRPF personnel travelled on it. The IED targeted a road that connects Dantewada and Sukma, near Melawada village. It hit a truck in which the CRPF personnel — who were on their way to Bhusaras camp after returning from leave — were travelling. “The impact of the IED was massive — at least 20 kilometres. The question is how was it planted under a metalled road. While one possibility is that it was planted when the road was constructed some years ago, or when maintenance took place last year, the problem with that theory is that largely Maoists use ammonium nitrate in their IEDs. These get affected by heat and rain water, and don’t last long. Therefore, initial indications are that it was planted recently,” said a senior CRPF officer. Evidence of bullets being fired at the scene of the incident has also been found, indicating that it was not just one Maoist who “triggered the blast and ran”, but a squad that carried out the attack. CRPF officials told The Indian Express that a team of experts from its IED school in Pune has been roped in for investigations.
