Bastar Maoist attack: Did someone change route of convoy?

NEW DELHI: As investigations by different agencies into the Darbha
massacre in Chhattisgarh gather momentum, it is now emerging that
there may actually have been a last-minute change in the route of
Congress cavalcade diverting it to Darbha Ghati where 28 people,
including senior Congress leaders, were gunned down by Maoists in an
ambush last Saturday.

Sources in CRPF, which conducted spot inquiry into the lapses that led
to the attack, say that not only were there glaring mistakes committed
by the security apparatus, there are also strong indications that
someone got the route of the Congress rally changed at the last
minute.

Sources said it was natural for the Congress rally to come via Gadiras
in Dantewada as it wanted to cover more areas in the tribal belt. "It
had already done the Darbha Ghati route while going to Sukma from
Jagdalpur. Several sources told us that the original plan to come to
Jagdalpur was via Gadiras in Dantewada. However, it is not clear when,
how and who suggested a change of route," said an officer privy to the
details of spot enquiry.

The rally plan given to Chhattisgarh Police did not mention preference
of route, said sources. It only mentioned about journey from Jagdalpur
to Sukma and back. "The route plans were intimated orally to the
police hours before taking them and accordingly security arrangements
were made," said the officer.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the
incident, will look into this matter, said sources. If the information
is found to be correct, it would point to a conspiracy where the
agency would have to ascertain whether the route change suggestion was
given to save time — there is a difference of 50km between the two
routes — or with prior knowledge of an ambush.

Sources said, the security set up was found to be fairly inadequate as
there were only three state police personnel with each company of
CRPF. "That is why between Darbha and Togpal forces could do road
opening only upto 5 km on each side on a stretch of 25 km. The
incident occurred right in the middle," the officer added.

Enquiry found that Naxalite-leaning villagers were stationed at
certain intervals on the route and gave real time relay signals of the
approaching cavalcade to the Maoists.

There were also lapses on part of the state police in failing to
conduct even a coordination meeting on security where proper stock of
the situation would be taken and responsibilities divided among
central and state forces for rally security. All decisions were left
to local police even as the district SP was absent.