NUAPADA: Bodies of the three CRPF jawans martyred in the Maoist ambush in Patdhara reserve forest under Boden block were handed over to their respective families on Wednesday. Postmortem of the martyred jawans - assistant sub inspectors Shishupal Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Shivlal of Haryana besides constable Dharmendra Kumar Singh of Bihar was conducted late in the night on Tuesday. Fellow security personnel paid tributes to the slain jawans before their mortal remains were sent to their native places by air.
DIG, South Western Range Rajesh Pandit said, “Following the Maoist attack, we have intensified combing operation in the area. Senior officials visited Nuapada and reviewed the situation.” On the day, IG (Operations) Amitav Thakur visited Nuapada. He went to the CRPF camp and the spot where the ambush took place.
The attack took place at Bhainsadhani, 7 km from Patdhara, at around 2 pm on Tuesday. The CRPF jawans were engaged in combing operation in the reserve forest. Taking advantage of the low visibility due to heavy rains, the Maoists opened fire at the jawans. As the security forces retaliated, the ultras attacked them with mortar bombs leading to the death of the three jawans.
It is believed that the attack was a result of the frustration of Maoists due to the new CRPF camp set up at Patdhara on Chhattisgarh border. Earlier, the ultras had put up posters in the bordering areas of Chhattisgarh opposing the camp and even warned people not to support the CRPF. Meanwhile, the incident has sparked panic among residents of the area.