4 CRPF men killed in Bastar in IED blast

       Jagdalpur, September 29, 2008: In a severe blow on the face of Chhattisgarh administration, the banned outfit CPI (Maoists) today triggered a powerful blast in Bastar district when President Pratibha Patil was here and killed four CRPF men, including one Assistant Commandant.

       When a CRPF party, led by Assistant Commandant Dibakar Mohapatra and deployed for the visit of the President, was returning from Mardoom to Barsur in two jeeps and eight motorcycles, the Maoists triggered a powerful improvised explosive device about 27 km away from Chitrakoot where Patil was having a scheduled programme.

        The blast was so powerful that the vehicle was blown in the air up to some feet and got totally damaged; officials said adding on the spot Mohapatra and one driver were killed where as two other jawans died in Hospital.

        It was a joint police party of 27 CRPF jawans, one from the District Force and one Special Police Officer (SPO), which was also subjected to indiscriminate fire from the Maoists after the blast.

        The incident was considered as a blow on the face of administration as it had not issued passes to the media for the visit of the President apparently saying that the media persons could be a threat for Patil, where as it had utterly failed to trace any land mine in a comparatively busy road, under Mardoom police station.