Maoists kill 54 policemen in Bastar, flee with weapons

Of the 54 killed in the attack, 38 were special police officers (SPOs) while the rest were personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Police. Collector K R Pisda said 60 SPOs and 23 policemen were stationed at the post in the Maoist-infested area.

“Some bodies and weapons are still lying in the area. We have no exact count of the casualties,” IGP (Bastar Range) R K Vij told The Indian Express. Though the police claimed 15 Maoists had also been killed, none of the bodies were found.

Before fleeing with the weapons they seized — 50 weapons, including Ak-47s and SLRs are missing — the Maoists mined the area, Vij said, adding that a bomb disposal squad was trying to clear the area. Additional state police and CRPF personnel have been sent in as reinforcement.

After the Salwa Judum campaign, involving tribals taking on Maoists, the latter have stepped up attacks in the Bastar region, targeting both securitymen and civilians.

At the scene of the attack, the stench of death was unmistakable — there was blood all around, some of the policemen had been hacked to death.

“The Maoists fired indiscriminately at the police post from all sides,” Pisda said.

Injured policemen said they were unable to react because they were heavily outnumbered. “At least 400 came in battle fatigues. They overpowered the sentries and lobbed petrol bombs. There was panic. We tried to retaliate but were outnumbered,” said Ram Patel. Another injured policeman, Kamal Kaudo, said that “the Naxalites first set the building on fire and hacked to death anyone trying to get out.” He said he survived because they thought he had died of gunshot wounds.

State Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, who reached the attack site with DGP OP Rathore, called it “a cowardly act… such acts will not shake our resolve… we will continue fighting extremists.” Netam and Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, who also leads the Salwa Judum movement, were gheraoed by angry villagers. At least 676 people have been killed in Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh over the last two years.

In New Delhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil condemned the killing of policemen and spoke to Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Assuring all possible assistance to the state government, Patil said such attacks would not succeed in weakening the resolve of the government to deal with the Naxalite problem, an official spokesman said.

Following Singh’s request to provide helicopters for evacuation of the victims, one chopper was rushed to the state.