india

Updated: May 03, 2019 03:37 IST

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday ordered an inquiry into possible lapses that may have led to the Maoist attack in Gadchiroli a day earlier. Fifteen security personnel and their driver was killed in the attack.

“We have authorised the DGP [director general of police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal] to probe the incident and, if lapses are found, action would be taken accordingly,” said Fadnavis, who flew to Gadchiroli to take stock of the situation on Thursday. The probe was ordered as family members of the slain security personnel said they could have been saved if the right protocol had been followed. Swati Kharde, who lost her husband Sarjerao Kharde in the attack, wondered why they were sent in a private vehicle for a search and combing operations hours after Maoists torched about three dozen vehicles near the attack scene.

An official blamed lack of intelligence for the attack. “How could they allow the personnel to go in pursuit of the Maoists without an anti-landmine vehicle, which is a part of the normal procedure? The Maoists had openly challenged the police force that they would avenge the killings of 40 of their cadres in Kasnasur last year and had even put up posters and banner in this regard in the area,” he said. Police on Thursday found banners the Gadchiroli unit of the Maoists had reportedly put up near the attack scene. The banner condemned the killing of 40 Maoists last year and that of Ramco Narota, a Maoist leader, in an exchange of fire on April 27. “The banners said that the development work in this area is not for the locals, but for the benefit of a handful of rich people,” an official quoted the banners as saying.

Officials said a preliminary probe into the attack pointed towards the involvement of Basavaraj, who has led the Maoists after Ganapathy alias Muppala Lakshmana Rao relinquished his post in November last year.

Maharshtra home department officials said the police had been getting intelligence inputs of a possible attack. According to a home department official, security forces in the Maoist-hit areas are following the guidelines. “The intelligence inputs were minutely monitored by the security forces and there were many such attempts even during the electioneering. ...it appears that due care was being taken by the forces. A sanitisation van was sent on the route before passing of the fateful vehicle,” the official said on condition of anonymity.