Bhopal: A Central Industrial Security Force jawan and four civilians were killed on Thursday as Maoists blew up a passenger bus by triggering a powerful improvised explosive device blast in Bacheli in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Dantewada, four days ahead of the first phase of Assembly polls in the state.
Two CISF other jawans travelling in the ill-fated private mini-bus were also injured. This was the fourth Naxal attack in Bastar in the last 10 days. Incidentally, the attack came a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar, on Friday, to campaign for the BJP before the first phase of voting on November 12.
“Four civilians and a CISF jawan were killed while two other security personnel were injured in the Maoist blast,” said Bastar range inspector general of police Vivek Sinha.
Apart from the mangled remains of the mini-bus at the explosion site, body parts of the victims and groceries could also be seen littered. “No less than 60 kg of explosives must have been used to make the IED,” sources in the state intelligence bureau said.
Those killed in the blast were identified as CISF head constable D. Mukhopadhyay, bus driver Ramesh Patkar, helpers Roshan Kumar Sahu and Johan Nayak and a truck driver, Sushil Banjare, said Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallava. The truck driver had taken a lift in the bus, a police official said.
CISF constables — Pathare Satish and Pishal Suresh —were injured in the attack, Mr Pallava said. The blast took place in a hilly area in Bacheli area when the jawans, belonging to CISF’s 502 battalion, were returning to their camp at Akash Nagar after purchasing ration for their unit from a market, a police officer said.
