Forensic team collecting evidence from the crater made from IED explosion on Kutru-Bedre road |
Bijapur: A massive IED blast close to Ambeli village on the Kutru-Bedre Road in Bijapur claimed the lives of nine District Reserve Guards (DRG) and a civilian driver, sparked controversy when a Janpad member Bhavesh Korsa and Congress State President Dipak Baij alleged that the tragedy was due to violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and the failure to deploy a Road Opening Party (ROP).
Bhavesh Korsa, a Janpad member from Bade Tungali, Jangla of Bijapur district lost his brother Budhram Korsa, a DRG jawan, in the landmine explosion and had previously lost another brother in a naxal attack that occurred on Sukma-Bijapur border in 2021. He claimed that both brothers died because SOPs meant to protect security forces during anti-naxal operations were ignored. He argued that if the jawans had been provided motorbikes instead of vehicles, his brothers might have survived. He also alleged no ROP was in place on the road.
Meanwhile, Dipak Baij echoed his concerns, criticizing the ruling BJP government for its overconfidence, which he believes contributed to the deaths of the security personnel. He emphasized that no ROP was deployed, nor was the road demined.
Deputy Inspector General Kamlochan Kashyap acknowledged potential lapses that could have led to the incident.
However, senior police officials in Bastar, speaking anonymously, dismissed these allegations as baseless. They stated that while the ROP was in place, the 45-kilometer stretch of road required a strategic approach. They noted that the explosive detection equipment could only detect mines up to two feet deep, while the mine was buried beyond five feet. Furthermore, they indicated that the area was a conflict zone, sometimes some circumstances were unavoidable, and that motorbikes were provided wherever feasible.
The IED blast on Kutru road was so intense that it created a 10-foot crater in the pucca road. The vehicle carrying the jawans was hurled into the air and exploded. All the jawans died in the explosion. It has been assumed Naxals might have used 50kg explosive in the IED, and got planted three years ago.
