One person was killed and another sustained critical injuries in a blast triggered by a pressure landmine at Bulbul forest in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district. Though the incident happened on Thursday, the villagers, out of fear, informed the authorities only on Friday.
The CPI (Maoists) who are holed up in this area sharing borders with the Latehar and Lohardaga districts are reported to have fortified the area by planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on all routes approaching their hideout.
The deceased identified as Etwa Parhaiya, 35, a member of primitive tribes group (PTG) was one in a group of seven villagers, who had gone to this forest to bring home bamboos on Thursday. He hailed from Jhanka Tola of Nareshgarh village under the Latehar police station area.
Etwa died on spot as his body was blown apart after coming in direct contact with the impact of the explosion after he put his foot on the pressure bomb, planted on the way used by the local villagers for going to the jungle.
Suraj Parahiya, 25, also sustained critical injuries as he was badly hit by splinters, especially in the lower abdomen. Suraj belongs to Nawatoli of Ghaghari village, also in Latehar district. Suraj was later sent to RIMS for better treatment. His father Mahrang Parahiya, who was also accompanying him, said, “We were unaware about the landmines in the area. We were going to fetch bamboo when Etwa put a foot on the mine and it exploded. My son who was next to him, also came in contact.”
“The CPI (Maoists) have planted the pressure IEDs to target the security forces apprehending their arrival from this route. Their misdeeds claimed one innocent life, another is battling for survival. They (the Maoists) do not even spare villagers as they planted pressure mine of route frequented by the locals,” said Prashant Anand, Latehar superintendent of police.
“The deceased and the injured will be given all benefits as per the government norms and we will expedite the process for providing them help at the earliest,” the SP pointed out.
Incidentally, the security forces and the CPI (Maoists) had clashed in the same forest where the Maoists squad led by the zonal commander Ravidnra Ganjhu was camping since killing four policemen at Chandwa just ahead of the first phase of assembly election.
