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Tall claims of police in driving away the Maoists from its strongholds at Bhimbandh wild life sanctuary exposed with Maoist’  attempt taken on SP Munger.

A major mishap like blowing of former SP, Munger, K C Surendra Babu along with his bodyguards by powerful landmine explosion was averted last evening. In the same forest covers the former SP along with his body guards killed by the Maoists on January , 2005.

Bharati along with his police and  forces from 131 battalion of CRPF was conducting search operation –cum area domination exercise  inside Bhimbandh forest covers where a canter bomb of nearly 2 kg in weight was recovered by his escort party. The canter bomb was planted on roadsides by the outfits, claimed the police sources.

Bharati said that as part of the combing operation was initiated in view of the coming of Nitish Kumar to neighbouring Lakhisarai, connected through Bhimbandh forest covers. He was accompanied by a force consisted of police and CRPF along with officials like, Nilkamal, commandant of 131 battalion of CRPF, ASP, Rana Navin Kumar, Dy SP, P Kumar and others.

A football match among the villagers and also the distributed blankets and other daily use items among the poor villagers of Sonarwa village  inside the forest cover by Bharati was scheduled yesterday under community police service. He started foot march from Sawa Lakh Baba Sthan, a sacred place located in the entrance of Bhimbandh from Munger-Jaumi main road side. “ After completing the community works among the villagers when we were returning back from the forest cover, the members of the escort party who were also the part of search operation recovered the container bomb planted beside the road. The explosion of the bomb  would have been created a disaster,” he said.

SP, Munger Ashsish Bharati during community policing for residents inside Bhimbandh forest covers.

The incident is said be a major setback for the Munger police which claimed that the with effective policing, Maoists were driven back from their strongholds at Bhimbandh forest covers.  Even a camp of 131 battalion of CRPF has been running inside the forest since 2014. “Earlier Maoists managed to develop a red corridor connecting  parts of Munger, Lakhisarai and Jamui through Bhimbandh. Due to dense forest covers with hilly terrains and highly inaccessible topography the entire forest cover was considered as a secured fort for the outlaws. But after establishing the CRPF camp, rising tentacles of the Maoists were curbed down,” claimed a CRPF officials.

However, Bharati said intensive combing operation would be initiated in the forest covers to drive back the outlaws if any. Talking about the community services by the police, he said that villagers residing inside the forest covers who earlier used to provide shelter to the Maoists,  now have shifted royalties with police. “We are trying to fulfill their daily life requirements by the community services. They have started trusting on police and subsequently we managed to counter the entrance of the Maoists in the villages,” he said.

Earlier, top cops decided the strategy to win over Bhimbandh forest covers the secured bastion of the ultras. “The CRPF’s camp was established besides regular area domination exercises were the part of Jamui, Lakhisarai and Munger police. But the residents of the small villages in the vicinity of the deep woods put hurdles to our mission because the Maoists were still managing their pressure tactics on the poor villages to have foods and shelters. We were helpless at the point to watch the villagers regularly because of security and other problems,” pointed out a top ranking CRPF official who once initiated many operations against the left ultras inside Bhimbandh forest covers.

A former inspector general of police recalled how he always tried to project the plights and miseries of residents in the villages mainly due to lack of development. “Absence of any government sponsored development programme has made the forest residents irate against government while the Maoists managed to gain their sympathy. And the outlaws hence enjoying safe shelter and foods from the villagers,” said Gopal Kumar, a Munger based social activist. He however appreciated the recent move of Munger police for concentrating on community policing. But Kumar said police should not take for granted the Maoists particularly inside Bhimbandh forest covers.