Naxalites strike at Ramgarh, five jawans killed

Within 48 hours of the attack on a busload of people at Dantewara, the Naxalites detonated a landmine today at Ramgarh in West Bengal killing five CRPF personnel. Five jawans of CRPF’s 66th battalion led by deputy commandant Vijaypal Singh were out on the road between Ramgar and Goaltor when their car was destroyed by the landmine.

Four jawans died on the spot while their commander Vijaypal Singh was brought to Kolkata with serious head injuries where he died in the evening. The incident took place just 10 kilometers away from Lalgarh, the epicentre of the Naxalite insurgency in the state. The Naxalites have given a call of 48 hour bandh in the Junglemahal which started from yesterday and as a part of their bandh, they put fire on a truck at Lodhashuli near Jhargram. Another landmine has been detected today at a place near Jhargram.

Immediately after the landmine explosion at Ramgarh, two detachments of CRPF jawans rushed to the spot and started a combing operation in the surrounding forest but came to naught.

According to police officers who have been to the spot, the landmine was laid on the metal road. So, the patrolling jawans should have noticed the spot before the car moving forward.

But the patrolling party did not take help of either the road opening party or a mine detector.