Latehar (Jharkhand), May 4
In a fresh incident of Maoist violence, an armed squad targeted a mining survey site of Coal India's associate company, the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), in Jharkhand's Latehar district. The Maoists set fire to eight vehicles and machines, including two drilling rigs, causing extensive damage, officials said.
The attack took place late Saturday night in a remote forested area of Torisat village, under Chakla Panchayat in the Chandwa police station limits.
According to preliminary reports, the Maoists opened fire to create panic and then torched two drilling machines, two pickup trucks, two cars, and two heavy trucks -- all reduced to ashes.
CMPDI had identified the site for an underground coal reserve survey, and preliminary drilling work was underway. Several workers were present on the site when the attack took place, but no injuries to workers have been reported so far.
The attackers reportedly remained at the location for about an hour before retreating into the forest.
Following the incident, Latehar Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Gaurav dispatched a police team, led by Balumath DSP Vinod Rawani, to the spot early Sunday morning. Security forces have launched intensive search operations in the surrounding areas to trace the attackers.
Multiple Maoist factions, including CPI (Maoist), TSPC (Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee), and Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Mukti Morcha, are known to be active in Latehar, and initial suspicion points toward one of these groups.
The attack comes just days after another Maoist strike in Orsapath village, under Mahuadanr police station, where insurgents torched two vehicles at a road construction site and shot dead a worker, Munshi Ayub Khan.
Police believe these back-to-back incidents are part of a strategy by Maoist groups to instill fear and disrupt development activities in the region.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is so frustrating! These attacks only hurt our own people and delay development. Jharkhand has so much mineral wealth that could create jobs and improve lives, but such violence scares away investors. Stronger security presence needed in these areas. 🇮🇳
Heartbreaking to see workers' livelihoods destroyed like this. These mining projects actually bring employment to tribal areas. Maoists claim to fight for poor but burn machines that provide jobs? Doesn't make sense. Hope the workers get compensation quickly.
Government needs to rethink strategy - just sending police after attacks isn't enough. Why not engage local communities more? Many youth join Maoists due to lack of opportunities. Development + dialogue both needed to solve this decades-old problem.
As someone from Ranchi, this worries me deeply. Latehar is just 100km from here. If Maoists can attack so brazenly, what's stopping them from coming closer to cities? Security forces must get better intelligence to prevent such incidents.
These attacks show complete disregard for India's progress. While we're trying to become self-reliant in energy, anti-national elements are destroying infrastructure. Time to deploy more CRPF camps and modern surveillance in these areas. No compromise on national security!
The media should also highlight how mining companies sometimes ignore tribal rights. Not justifying violence, but understanding root causes is important. Maybe if companies followed better CSR practices and shared benefits fairly, locals wouldn't support Maoists?
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.