New Delhi: A day after revelations made on CNN-IBN by a commando of the CoBRA battalion on a botched up anti-Naxal operation, Home Minister Rajnath Singh will meet top bureaucrats of all Naxal-affected states on Friday. Sources say the Home Ministry is likely to assure states of all support from the Centre to fight the Naxal challenge.
All 10 Naxal-affected states including Telangana are expected to attend the meet.
Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday initiated an IG-level inquiry into the allegations. Sujoy Mandal, a CRPF commando had told CNN-IBN how Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) were flouted in a botched up anti-Naxal operation.
Dilip Trivedi, the Director General of CRPF ensured that action would be taken against the concerned if SOP was violated. He said "We are checking every detail of the matter. If SOP has been violated in normal circumstances, we will take action."
Three security personnel had died and four others were injured when the Naxals ambushed them during a combing operation in Chhattisgarh.
CNN-IBN learnt that CRPF's elite CoBRA battalion that came under fire used the same route taken by a battalion the previous day. The route not being altered is a serious lapse of SOP.
Sujoy Mandal alleged that Deputy Commander Ramesh Kumar Singh compromised the safety of the entire unit during the operation. He also added that no action was taken by the Deputy Commandant despite complaints from commandos.
The 206 unit of the CoBRA was ambushed by Maoists on April 9 in Chintagufa in Chhattisgarh, when they were accompanying a poll party.
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