CRPF loses huge weapons to Maoists in Dantewada

     Raipur, April 8, 2010: CRPF lost a substantial number of weapons and other strategic equipments to the Maoists after 76 of its personnel killed in Tadmetla on Tuesday last, police said today.

     “After killing 76 security forces and injuring seven others at Tadmetla forest of Dantewada district on Tuesday, the Maoists have taken away at least 6176 numbers of sophisticated weapons, high grade explosives and ammunitions” Spokesman of  the Chhattisgarh State police Rajinder Kumar Vij told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

     The Central Para Military Forces (CRPF) has, for the first time, lost such a huge number of sophisticated weapons and high grade bombs and explosives to Maoists in India, police said.

     “Among the lost weapons are two Mortars, six Light Machine Guns, 12 AK-47, seven Self Loaded Rifles, 42 INSAS range of Automatic Rifles, one carbine, 24 numbers of High Explosive Bombs, 41 Hand Grenades, Rifle Grenade 30 and a huge number of high quality 6000 ammunitions,” Vij said.

     Meanwhile, quoting intelligence inputs, senior police officers said the Military Commission of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) was involved in the Tuesday incident at Tadmetla Forest.

    Guerrilla Commanders Bhupathi, Ramanna, Ayatu, Papa Rao, Hidma and Sudarshan were spotted with their armed members of the Military Commission in and around the encounter site just a couple of days before and information from the field revealed they are responsible for the killing of 76 security personnel, a top police officer said.

     Bhupathi is the head of Maoists organization in Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, comprising of portions of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra states, police officers said.

     Hidma, police profile said, is heading the Military Commission in South region of Chhattisgarh, where the incident took place, and rest of the local commanders are also said to have assisted them in their operation against the military police.

     Meanwhile, Congress today called for a state wide shut down against the naxal attack and imposition of central rule in Chhattisgarh for having failed to check violence in the state, which received a good response.