Chhattisgarh: IED Blast; Four DRG Jawans Martyred; Chief Minister Sai Expresses Grief

Kanker: An IED blast occurred during a de-mining operation along the border of the Kanker and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh. Caught in the impact of this explosion, three jawans of the DRG (District Reserve Guard) were martyred, and one jawan was injured. The injured jawan was brought to Raipur for treatment; however, he too succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment there. Police officials stated that the incident took place in a forest area falling under the jurisdiction of the Chhotebethiya police station. The tragedy struck while a DRG team was conducting a de-mining drive to detect and neutralize IEDs planted by Naxalites. Chief Minister Vishnudeo Sai has expressed his condolences regarding this incident, issuing a message of grief via a post on the social media platform ‘X’.

Four DRG Jawans Martyred
Kanker SP Nikhil Rakhecha informed that the jawans had set out for a search and de-mining operation in the Koroskoda area, located within the Chhotebethiya police station limits of Kanker district. This region lies along the border shared by Narayanpur and Kanker. The IED detonated during the de-mining process; three jawans of the Kanker DRG were caught in the blast and were martyred on the spot, while the fourth jawan passed away while undergoing treatment in Raipur.

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“Four members of the Kanker DRG sustained injuries after being accidentally caught in an IED explosion during a de-mining operation. Among them, Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra, and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale were critically injured and were martyred at the scene of the incident. One injured jawan, Constable Parmanand Komra, was brought to Raipur for advanced medical treatment; however, he too passed away while undergoing treatment there.” — Nikhil Rakhecha, SP, Kanker

Statement by Bastar IG Sundarraj P
Sundarraj Pattilingam, Inspector General of Police for the Bastar Range, has expressed his condolences regarding the incident. He stated that, based on information provided by surrendered Maoist cadres and other intelligence inputs received over the past few months, hundreds of IEDs previously concealed by Maoists were recovered and defused by the police and security forces in the Bastar range. In today’s unfortunate incident, an explosion occurred suddenly while a team from the Kanker District Police was in the process of defusing an IED. As a result, four personnel were martyred.

An IED detonated during the de-mining operation. Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra, and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale sustained severe injuries in the blast. All three suffered critical wounds in this tragic accident, to which they subsequently succumbed. A fourth constable, Parmanand, was airlifted to Raipur; however, he too passed away while undergoing treatment. Thus, a total of four personnel were martyred. — Sundarraj P, IG Bastar

Mortal Remains of Martyred Personnel Brought to District Headquarters

The mortal remains of all four personnel martyred in the IED blast were brought to the Narayanpur district headquarters. The post-mortem examination is currently being conducted at the District Hospital. Senior police officials from the Narayanpur district are present at the scene.

IEDs in Bastar’s Forests: A Challenge for Security Forces

The IEDs planted within the forests of Bastar have consistently posed a formidable challenge for security force personnel. Numerous personnel have lost their lives after falling victim to these IED blasts. Not only security personnel, but local civilians and livestock have also frequently fallen victim to these explosives. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has expressed his profound grief over this tragedy and has paid tribute to the martyred bravehearts.