2 Workers Killed, 1 Injured In Naxal-Triggered IED Blast At Chhattisgarh Iron Ore Mine

Two workers were killed and another injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on Friday.

Narayanpur: Two labourers were killed while another was critically injured after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxals went off at an iron ore mine site in Chhattisgarh’s Naxalite insurgency-hit Narayanpur district on Friday.

According to the police, the IED blast took place at around 7:30 AM on Friday morning when the three workers were heading for work on the the iron ore mine site located on a hill in Aamdai Ghati under the Chhote Dongar police station limits, 350 km away from state capital Raipur.

A senior police official said the IED was triggered when the three workers came into contact with the pressure explosive, resulting in deaths of two workers and injuries to another. “Prime facie, the workers came in contact with the pressure IED connection triggering the blast,” the official said.

The deceased were identified as Ritesh Gagda (21) and Shravan Gagda (24), residents of Narayanpur district, he added.

The body of Shravan who was reported to be missing after the explosion, was found at the blast site, he said.

The injured worker, Umesh Rana, was admitted to a local hospital where his condition is stated to be stable, he said.

Jayaswal Neco Industries Limited (JNIL) has been allotted the iron ore mine in Aamdai Ghati and Naxalites have been opposing the project for a long time.

Villager accused of being police informer, shot dead by Naxals

Meanwhile, in a related incident, on Tuesday, a 25-year-old villager was shot dead by Naxalites in Narayanpur district on suspicion of being a police informer.

A senior official said police are gathering more information about the killing which took place in Gome village under Sonpur police station limits.

“As per preliminary information, the villager, identified as Amar Uikey, was murdered by Naxalites on Monday evening after holding a ‘jan adalat’ (kangaroo court),” Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.

“We are verifying the information and gathering further details,” said the senior IPS officer, adding a police team has been sent to the spot.

Police sources shared a picture of a purported Maoist banner in which the Rowghat area committee of insurgents claimed they have given a ‘death punishment’ to Uikey in “jan adalat” as he was acting as an “informer” of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), an anti-Naxal unit of the state police.

Maoists also claimed Uikey provided a “tip-off” to police that led to an encounter between Naxalites and security personnel near Gome village on October 21 this year. On that day, police had claimed two Naxalites were killed in an encounter near Gome village located on the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts.

An INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifle, one 12 bore rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the gunfight spot, they had said.

(With PTI inputs)