According to a CRPF jawan, prompt action by the air force could have saved the CRPF personnel caught in a Maoist ambush on Monday, in which 14 men died.
The encounter took place near Kasalpara village in Sukma district’s Chintagufa area.
He alleged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 helicopters did not fly in. The encounter took place at 11.30 a.m. on Monday. At least three injured CRPF men died near the base camp when they were being brought back, he said.
“One of them died right in front of us at the gate of the camp. If the helicopters had helped rescue them on time, at least three lives could have been saved,” the jawan told The Hindu, wishing anonymity.
Another officer posted in Bastar also seconded the claim that the helicopters’ arrival delayed the rescue operations and not “untimely inputs”.
“Maybe the November 21 incident in the same area when a Mi-17 helicopter came under fire from the Maoists played a role but the helicopters should have been sent earlier when the encounter went on for more than five hours,” pointed out the officer, requesting anonymity.
The CRPF teams, including CRPF Inspector-General (Chhattisgarh) H.S. Sidhu, returned to base camp with the dead and injured at 11 p.m. on Monday 12 hours after the encounter had begun.
However, the CRPF IG defended the IAF and blamed “some mix-up” with the helicopters.
“The IAF have always done a wonderful job rescuing our jawans,” said Mr. Sidhu.
Two Mi-17 helicopters were flown in to Chintagufa on Tuesday morning carrying bodies of the deceased to Raipur and injured people to Jagdalpur.
Meanwhile, CRPF DIG D. Upadhyay said the Maoists took away ten AK-47s, including three UBGL (Under Barrel Grenade Launcher) attached, 900 rounds, 30 grenades of UBGL, an Insas LMG with 300 rounds, an Insas rifle with one magazine, four bullet proof jackets, a GPS and two binoculars after Monday’s encounter.
