No last minute changes, local police asked to secure route well in advance

JAGDALPUR: Both Raipur and Delhi are rife with conspiracy stories that pin the blame for Saturday's Maoist attack on a 'last minute route change' done at the behest of Congress leaders. But local policemen stationed on the route taken by the Congress party's convoy confirm they had received circulars days in advance asking them to secure its way.
The attack took place on May 25 on a stretch of NH-221 that falls between the police stations of Darbha and Tongpal.
L S Kashyap, the in-charge of Tongpal police station said the first circular from the SP's office arrived as early as May 22. "The circular asked us to make security arrangements for the yatra," Kashpay said. A follow-up circular landed on Kashyap's desk on May 24.
On the morning of May 25, Kashyap claims he led a road opening patrol with 36 security personnel - 25 from the CRPF and 11 from Chhattisgarh police. They covered a distance of roughly 10 kilometres on foot and motorcycles. The same drill was repeated in the afternoon. "We had posted personnel both in the town and upto 10 kms ahead," he says.
Travelling from Sukma towards Jagdalpur, the Congress convoy crossed Tongpal and drove 17 kilometres before a landmine exploded and blocked its way 7 kms short of Darbha.
Sources in Darbha police station confirmed they had received the same circular on May 24 and they had carried out an ROP with about 30 security personnel around 9 in the morning. It is not clear how many kilometres they covered and whether they secured the route in the afternoon.
Between the two police stations, it appears a stretch of road went unguarded. Staff strength at both stations was depleted with personnel being diverted to a security offensive taking place near Minpa village in Sukma district, said a senior officer.
Mayank Srivastava, who was the SP of Bastar district when the attack took place and who has now been suspended, had told this correspondent that the police had done its best "within the resources at our disposal."