Maoist Attack in Jharkhand: A Bold Strike Against Development Efforts

Maoists Target Mining Survey in Jharkhand

Latehar: In a recent act of violence attributed to Maoist insurgents, an armed group targeted a mining survey site operated by Coal India’s affiliate, the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), located in the Latehar district of Jharkhand. The assailants set ablaze eight vehicles and machinery, including two drilling rigs, resulting in significant destruction, according to officials.

The incident occurred late Saturday night in a secluded forest area of Torisat village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Chakla Panchayat and the Chandwa police station.

Initial reports indicate that the Maoists fired shots to instill fear before igniting two drilling machines, two pickup trucks, two cars, and two heavy trucks, all of which were completely destroyed.

CMPDI had been conducting preliminary drilling work at the site, which was earmarked for an underground coal reserve survey. Fortunately, although several workers were present during the attack, no injuries have been reported.

The attackers reportedly lingered at the scene for approximately an hour before fleeing into the nearby forest.

In response to the attack, Latehar Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Gaurav dispatched a police team, led by Balumath DSP Vinod Rawani, to the location early Sunday morning. Security forces have initiated extensive search operations in the vicinity to locate the perpetrators.

Various Maoist factions, including CPI (Maoist), TSPC (Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee), and Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Mukti Morcha, are known to operate in Latehar, and initial investigations suggest that one of these groups may be responsible.

This assault follows another recent Maoist attack in Orsapath village, where insurgents set fire to two vehicles at a road construction site and fatally shot a worker named Munshi Ayub Khan.

Authorities suspect that these consecutive incidents are part of a broader strategy by Maoist groups to instill fear and hinder developmental initiatives in the area.