Meenu Manhas, wife of paramilitary soldier Rakeshwar Singh
RAIPUR: After ambushing security personnel and killing 22 of them, Maoists claim to have abducted a CoBRA commando, who is listed as missing since the encounter.
“CoBRA constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, hailing from Jammu, is alive and safe. He is in our captivity. He will not be harmed. Will give further information in next call,” a man with a heavy voice, claiming to be a Maoist from ‘south sub-zonal bureau’, told a Sukma journalist over mobile phone at 11.26am on Monday.
Manhas’ wife Meenu has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to get her soldier husband back. “I appeal to Modiji to rescue my husband safely, just the way Abhinandan was brought back from Pakistan. I last spoke to him on Friday. He told me he was going on an operation and would speak to me later,” she said.
Search and combing operations have been launched to trace the missing personnel.
RAIPUR: In one of the deadliest Maoist attacks this year, at least 20 security personnel were martyred, 31 others injured in Saturday’s ambush in Chhattisgarh s Bijapur district.
“We have recovered 20 blood-soaked bodies lying scattered at the encounter spot, the number of deaths might reach 22 or 23, a senior officer told TOI.
A group of local reporters, who also visited the spot on Sunday morning, confirmed the death of at least 20 personnel.
Several jawans are reported to be missing.
A massive search and combing operations have been launched to trace the missing personnel.
Security personnel patrol after an attack by Maoists in Bijapur of Chhattisgarh. (Reuters photo)
RAIPUR: Intelligence inputs about the presence of wanted Maoist leader Hidma and a large number of cadres in the forests of Bijapur might have been a trap laid by the rebels security experts are exploring this angle after 23 security personnel were martyred in the ambush in the forests of restive Bijapur district in tribal Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
Police had indicated that a massive operation was launched following specific inputs about presence of Maoist leader Hidma and rebel cadres in the area but a team of forces got ambushed on Saturday afternoon. Security experts with knowledge of Maoist strategies do not rule out the possibility pointing out that Maoist preparedness for such a counter attack indicates that it could have been a trap.
RAIPUR: Raising a bizarre case, opposition BJP legislators on Friday alleged in the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha that a done-up old statue of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi was erected at the state secretariat showing it as a brand new one.
Alleging corruption even in installation of Mahatma Statue, opposition pressed for a debate on their notice for adjournment motion leading to noisy scenes and abrupt adjournment of the house for five minutes.
Raising the issue during the zero hour, Brijmohan Agrawal (BJP) said “a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was erected at the Mantralaya. It was an old and broken statue, which was repaired and given a facelift. The department passed it off as a new one and incurred expenditure on it and even got it unveiled by the chief minister”. He demanded a debate on the opposition notice for adjournment on the issue.
Excise flying squad has seized 25.52 bulk litre of foreign liquor
RAIPUR: The excise flying squad has seized a total of 25.52 bulk litre of foreign liquor whose market value is about Rs20,000 in Raigarh district.
ADEO at Excise Control Room Handi Chowk, Raigarh Ramesh Kumar Agarwal received information that illegal liquor was being sold in the Neeraj-Dheeraj family Dhaba situated at the new National Highway on Raigarh to Kharsia route. Acting on the tip off, the excise team reached the spot and conducted search at the Dhaba.
An official spokesperson informed that stock of liquor was found in the kitchen of Dhaba owner Gopal Patel.