RAIPUR: Security forces have recovered a cache of explosives, ammunition and other materials allegedly concealed by Maoists in a forested area of Gariyaband district in Chhattisgarh during a search operation. The recovery included a 2.5-kg improvised explosive device (IED) concealed inside a tiffin box and four-under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) rounds.
The explosives were destroyed at the site by a bomb disposal squad (BDS), following prescribed safety procedures, averting a potential threat to security personnel operating in the area, police said on Monday.
According to police officials, the recovery was made on Sunday during an anti-Naxalite search operation in the Mainpur police station area. A joint team comprising personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the district police force had launched the operation from the Kulhadighat camp to search forested areas around Kulhadighat, Kathwa and Gowarmunda.
The operation was part of the continuing efforts of security forces to trace and recover weapons, explosives and other materials allegedly hidden by Maoist cadres in forest areas.
Suspicious material found near culvert
Police said the joint search team was conducting routine searches in the forest when it reached the vicinity of Gowarmunda village. During the operation, personnel received information about a suspected Maoist dump in the area.
The team immediately secured the location and began a thorough search. During the inspection, suspicious materials were found concealed beneath the ground near a culvert.
Given the possibility of an explosive threat, the area was cordoned off and the CRPF’s bomb detection and disposal team was called in to examine the suspected dump. The specialists subsequently recovered an assortment of explosives, ammunition and other items reportedly used by Maoist cadres.
The most significant recovery was a live tiffin IED weighing approximately 2.5 kilograms. The device had been fitted inside a tiffin box and concealed at the site, police said.
The bomb disposal squad examined the device and took the necessary precautions before neutralising it. The IED and all four UBGL rounds recovered during the operation were subsequently destroyed at the site through controlled explosions, following standard operating procedures (SOPs) and prescribed safety measures.
The action was undertaken to eliminate the immediate danger posed by the explosives and prevent their possible misuse.
Four UBGL rounds, Cordex wire and daily-use items recovered
Gariyaband Additional Superintendent of Police Karan Uike confirmed the recovery and said the joint team had found several items in the suspected Maoist dump.
Apart from the tiffin IED, the recovered materials included four UBGL rounds, approximately two metres of Cordex wire, 15 empty cartridge cases, medicines and various articles of daily use.
The UBGL rounds were also destroyed by the bomb disposal squad at the location after the necessary safety procedures were followed.
According to Uike, the search operation was conducted by a team comprising CRPF and district police personnel deployed from the Kulhadighat camp. The recovery was made near Gowarmunda village during the search of the forest area.
Recovery assumes significance amid anti-Maoist operations
The recovery is significant in the context of continuing efforts by security forces to locate concealed Maoist weapon and explosive dumps in Chhattisgarh’s forested regions.
Police said searches have continued in forest areas following the state’s declaration that it had become Naxal-free, with security agencies working to identify and neutralise any remaining threats associated with previously concealed weapons, explosives and logistical supplies.
Such dumps can pose risks to security personnel, particularly during patrols and search operations, as well as to local residents who may inadvertently come across concealed explosive devices.
The recovery of the live IED and four UBGL rounds from beneath the ground near a culvert prompted the deployment of specialised personnel to ensure that the materials were handled and destroyed safely.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of medicines and daily-use items, which may provide investigators with additional material for examining the dump and determining its possible links to Maoist activities in the area.
Area linked to previous high-profile Maoist encounter
The Mainpur region has witnessed significant anti-Maoist operations in the past. According to police, Maoist leader Jayram, alias Chalpati, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore, and Central Committee member Balkrishna were killed in an encounter with security forces in the same area earlier this year.
The earlier encounter had marked a major operation against senior Maoist leadership in the region. The latest recovery has once again drawn attention to the need for continued searches for concealed weapons, ammunition and explosives in the surrounding forest areas.
Police have not confirmed whether the recovered dump had any direct connection with the two slain Maoist leaders or their former activities.
CRPF to continue operations
The CRPF’s 65th Battalion said anti-Maoist operations would continue to strengthen security and maintain peace in the region.
Security forces are continuing search and area-domination activities to locate concealed materials and reduce the possibility of explosives being used against personnel or civilians.
Officials said the recovery and safe destruction of the explosives had removed a potential hazard from the area. The operation also underscored the importance of coordinated action between the CRPF, district police and specialised bomb disposal teams in counter-insurgency operations.
