Thaindian News

Raipur, Aug 26 (IANS) Sending a strong message to policemen, the Chhattisgarh government dismissed 13 cops Wednesday for refusing to fight Maoist guerrillas. The cops refused to go to Rajnandgaon district where Maoists massacred 29 of their colleagues last month.
The policemen refused to go to Maoist stronghold of forested Madanwara pocket in Rajnandgaon district that comes under the state’s western region bordering Maharashtra. An Indian Police Services officer (IPS) were among those killed in Maoist ambush last month.

“We can’t tolerate indiscipline, the 13 cops openly refused to go to Madanwara where Maoists killed 29 policemen in coordinated attacks July 12, in which we lost a brave SP (superintendent of police) V.K. Choubey as well,” Inspector General of Police R.K. Vij told IANS.

He added that “more policemen are on our firing line. We will deal strongly with those not ready to join postings in the battle zone.”

“It’s a very ticklish problem the police set-up of India’s worst Maoist insurgency-hit state is facing. The tendency among policemen to keep away from Maoist battle zone is increasing and that is a not a good sign at a time when Chhattisgarh has been gearing up for the biggest surgical strikes against insurgents,” said a senior officer here at the police headquarters.

In July, 29 constables were suspended in Janjgir-Champa district after they refused to go for a 15-day orientation course at the Counter-Insurgency Training and Jungle Warfare College (CTJWC).

Chhattisgarh has been witnessing a string of attacks on policemen and civilians since June 2005 when a government-backed civil militia movement, Salwa Judum, was launched in Bastar to flush out the rebels.

Over 1,500 people have been killed in Maoist-related violence in Chhattisgarh since November 2000, when the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh.