Karma had 6 guards instead of 16

Former Chhattisgarh home minister Mahendra Karma was accompanied by only six guards, instead of the 16 guards assigned to him, when his convoy was attacked by Maoists. Aloke Tikku reports.

Former Chhattisgarh home minister Mahendra Karma was accompanied by only six guards, instead of the 16 guards assigned to him, when his convoy was attacked by Maoists.

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Other 10 guards did not accompany Karma on his instructions, government sources said, pointing there was evidence that other protected persons in the convoy too were not accompanied by the full complement of their security detail.

Government sources said the home ministry had advised the state government to issue instructions to ensure that all assigned policemen travel with the protectees.

“In case this does not happen, action should be taken against the police officer heading the security team,” a government source said.

A junior police officer, Mayank Srivastava, was suspended for the security lapse last night.

Srivastava, who had served in naxal-affected districts for a larger part of his seven years in the IPS, has led several operations from the front, including the Abujmaad jungles last year.

Home ministry sources said this time, however, the Bastar SP appeared to have erred in not issuing detailed orders to policemen on the precautions to be taken when the convoy of Congress leaders passed through his district.