RAIPUR: Additional superintendent of police (ASP) of Konta division succumbed to severe injuries he sustained in a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast planted by Maoists in Sukma, about 500 km south of Raipur, on Monday.
In the IED blast, the SDOP and station house officer of Konta were also injured; the condition of the two is stated to be out of danger.
Raipur native ASP Akash Rao Giripunje was on his patrol duty walking along with his team on the Konta-Errabore route in the wake of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) on June 10, when the blast occurred.
All three were rushed to the Konta hospital where Giripunje died while undergoing treatment.
IED is the most accessible weapon for Maoists. IED blasts remain the biggest challenge for armed forces navigating the Maoist cradle in Bastar region, as many security personnel and civilians have been killed in such incidents.