Maoists had in the recent past changed their strategy, in which mass attacks gave way to assault with anti-personnel mines. Maoists had in the recent past changed their strategy, in which mass attacks gave way to assault with anti-personnel mines.

There's war within the country's security establishment as a top Maoist leader lives to fight another day. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has alleged that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) mishandled an operation to nab Arvindji who carries a bounty of Rs 1.30 crore on his head.

Mail Today has accessed this information on a day the CRPF suffered its biggest casualty this year as 14 of its personnel were killed in a Maoist ambush on Monday afternoon in Chintagufa area of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.

Top government sources said that the IB was so miffed with the manner in which the operation was carried out in Jharkhand last month that it has complained to Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The CRPF in return has given a report to the Home Ministry countering the IB's claims of a goof-up and said there was no lapse on its part.

Acting on a tip-off given by the IB about the presence of Arvindji in Latehar district of Jharkhand, the CRPF launched an operation on November 12.

But before the CRPF team could reach the designated location, they were confronted by a group of Maoists and an exchange of fire took place. One jawan was injured and the Maoists managed to escape.

Deo Kumar Singh alias Arvindji heads the Maoist operations in Jharkhand and is believed to be one its top leaders. He is also a central committee member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Little is known about Arvindji. However, some media reports say he joined the Maoist movement some 25 years ago and quickly rose up the ranks due to his notoriety.

His track record shows he has carried out several attacks on security forces, besides attacking an independent MP and former Jharkhand assembly speaker Inder Singh Namdhari in December 2011, in which 11 police personnel were killed. He was reportedly close to Maoist leader Kishenji, who was killed by security forces in November 2011. He had executed a landmine blast in the Bhandaria locality of Garhwa district in January 2012 in which 14 security forces, including the officer-in-charge of Bhandaria police station, were killed. Further, on April 2012, a group of Maoists guided by Arvindji had opened indiscriminate fire on security forces combing the Barwadih jungles in Latehar district, killing a Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commando and injuring many others.

Sources said the IB's input was that Arvindji was hiding in a forest between Kumari village in Gumla district and Gotag village in Latehar district in Jharkhand and that there were around 50 Maoists in the area who could be easily overpowered. "Usually, Arvindji moves around with a group of 100-200 but we had intelligence that the number was less," an official said.

Based on the input, the CRPF launched an operation to hunt Arvindji. Two CRPF teams approached the spot from two directions - one team came from Gumla and the other from Latehar.

But things did not go as planned and the CRPF party that was moving in from the Gumla side spotted the Maoists and there was an exchange of fire that injured one jawan.

Home Ministry sources say that IB took up the matter directly with Rajnath Singh since its officials felt there was specific information provided to CRPF and there was no reason why the top Maoist leader should have escaped. "The matter has been taken up and once elections in Jharkhand are over an inquiry is expected to be initiated," said a home ministry official.

However, the CRPF differs with the version given by the IB to the Home Ministry. Officials on the ground said there was "no goof-up" and they had to fire back as the Maoists began firing on them from a hill top. The CRPF believes that the information provided to them was not accurate. "Around 1.5 kms before the spot identified by the IB, one of the teams came face to face with the rebels. They spotted us and there was an exchange of fire. A difference of 1 km can have a big impact in the difficult hilly and forest terrain," said a CRPF officer.

Since Maoists were on a hill top and enjoyed strategic advantage it became difficult for the CRPF to counter attack. "If we knew they were on a hill top our strategy would have been different. We would have taken a different route," the officer added.

Some jawans were forced to desert the operation as the injured jawan had to be taken to a safe location and that too on foot since they were deep inside the forest. "He was finally flown to Ranchi," the officer added.

Before the other CRPF party could reach the spot, the Maoists escaped. "The source accompanying the CRPF team got disoriented and could not identify the location," an officer said.

The CRPF has explained the sequence of events in a report given to the Home Ministry on the operation. Director General CRPF, Dileep Trivedi, who retired on November 30, visited Jharkhnad and reviewed the operation by speaking to his officers on the ground. He was also of the opinion that there was no lapse on their part.

A senior CRPF officer who has been privy to the developments said that nobody from the CRPF was present when the matter was taken up with the Home Minister. "The DG's opinion should have been taken but that did not happen," he said.

Following the unsuccessful operation to nab Arvindji, there was heavy exchange of fire between the Maoists and the CRPF in the same area. Sources said last week there were 25 IED explosions but no casualty.

The CRPF maintains that this was one of the many operations that have been carried out to destabilise the Maoists in the run up to elections.

