RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has transferred eight young IPS officers to the Bastar region to strengthen anti-Maoist operations following the death of Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Akash Rao Girepunje in an IED blast in Sukma district on Monday.
Girepunje, a 2013-batch officer of the state police service, was leading a patrol on the Konta-Errabore route when he accidentally stepped on a pressure IED planted by Maoists. The explosion, which came during a ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the banned CPI (Maoist), killed the officer and injured two others.
In response, the state home department on Tuesday issued fresh orders posting eight IPS officers of the 2021 batch to districts in Bastar. These officers were earlier serving as city superintendents of police in various parts of the state. They have now been appointed as additional superintendents of police (anti-Naxal operations) in Sukma, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, and Durg districts.
As per the order, Surguja CSP Rohit Kumar Shah has been posted as Additional Superintendent of Police (anti-Naxal operations) in Sukma district, and CSP Jagdalpur (Bastar district) Udit Pushkar as ASP (anti-Naxal operations) in Dantewada district.
Korba CSP Ravindra Kumar Meena and Raipur CSP Aman Kumar Raman Kumar Jha have been posted as ASPs (anti-Naxal operations) Bijapur district.
CSP Jagdalpur Akash Shrishrimal will be ASP (anti-Naxal operations) Bhanupratappur in Kanker district, it said.
CSP Civil Lines Raipur Ajay Kumar and CSP Bilaspur Akshay Pramod Sabadra have been posted as ASPs (anti-Naxal operations) in Narayanpur district.
Besides, Raigarh CSP Akash Kumar Shukla has been posted as ASP (anti-Naxal operations), Special Task Force, Baghera in Durg district.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the officer’s death and warned that the Maoists would face consequences for the “cowardly act”. He said the government remains committed to eliminating the Maoist threat from the region.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, praised the courage of the martyred officer and urged police forces in the region to remain motivated. He said Girepunje’s sacrifice would not be in vain.
(With inputs from PTI)
