By IANS
Raipur : A day after it was announced that Maoist guerrillas had massacred at least 15 policemen, authorities in Chhattisgarh said Saturday that they were not sure if so many had indeed been killed.
Officials said here that while they had despatched police forces to the remote area in Bijapur district, they felt that some of those believed killed might be alive.
A 120-member police team and a 26-seater helicopter have taken off from Bijapur town to travel at least 350 km to reach the attack site, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Pamed police station.
“Pamed is close to the Andhra Pradesh border and not many people live there. It’s a hilly area with a massive forest cap, I have no information at all what the situation is now,” Director General of Police Vishwaranjan Shrivastav told IANS. “Our forces are on the way.”
Bastar Inspector General R.K. Vij added: “The attack site comes in a Maoist dominated area. Till Friday night there was information that 15 policemen had been killed. But fresh inputs suggest that some are probably safe.
“We have no information at all about what happened Friday, things will become clear only when the reinforcements come back.
“There are different reports about the nature of the Maoist attack and the number of casualties.”
Officials at the Raipur police headquarters including Inspector General Girdhari Nayak and the Bijapur district police authorities had announced the death of the 15 colleagues Friday.
Now the police say they are not sure what really happened.
“Pamed and adjoining areas have been ruled by Maoists for about a decade, the police never dare to visit there,” a police inspector told IANS here on the condition of anonymity.
The area has no telephones. Even the police station cannot be reached by telephone.
The officer added: “In Pamed region, rebels attack at will and at any time. The topography is also suitable to the Maoists, who have hideouts in the hills.”
In 2007 alone, at least 235 people have been killed in Maoist violence. The toll includes 105 policemen. A total of 55 cops were butchered in March this year in Bijapur district.
That was the single worst massacre of policemen at the hands of Maoists since the Maoist movement got underway in India in 1967.