Overview

• Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Giripunje, a 2013-batch officer and gallantry medal recipient, succumbed to injuries after a pressure-activated IED detonated beneath his foot patrol on the Konta-Errabora road near Dondra on June 9.
• Sub-Divisional Officer Bhanupratap Chandrakar and Station House Officer Sonal Gwala were wounded in the explosion and airlifted to Raipur for advanced treatment, with both now reported to be in stable condition.
• The patrol was inspecting a site where Maoists had torched a JCB machine to lure security personnel into a trap when the concealed device exploded.
• Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai condemned the “dastardly act” and vowed to eradicate Maoist presence in the state, and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma ruled out any future peace talks with the insurgents.
• A Bomb Disposal Squad safely destroyed the recovered device, and security forces have intensified operations across Bastar to trace and apprehend the guerrilla cell responsible.