Maoists blew up a sports utility vehicle (SUV) in which they were travelling with an improvised explosive device in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Dantewada area on Thursday, killing one person and injuring 11 others, according to a police officer.
According to the district’s Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Pallava, the incident occurred at around 7.30 a.m. near Ghotiya village, which is located within the Malewadhi police station limits, about 400 kilometers from the state capital Raipur, on an under-construction route connecting Narayanpur and Dantewada.
The official said they suspect the rebels might have planned to target security forces, but mistakenly attacked the civilian vehicle.
Police never use a four-wheeler while moving on that route, he added. The official said the victims were on their way to neighbouring Telangana.
“The vehicle, a Bolero, came under the impact of the IED blast, causing injuries to all 12 occupants, including a woman. Of them, two were critically injured, while 10 others received minor injuries,” the official said.
After being alerted, a team of security personnel from a nearby camp rushed to the spot and the injured people were shifted to the district hospital.
“One of the seriously injured persons, identified as Dhan Singh, who hailed from neighbouring Balaghat district (in Madhya Pradesh), succumbed to his injuries during treatment at the hospital,” the official said.
The victims, belonging to Rajanandgaon district (Chhattisgarh) and Balaghat (MP), was going to Telangana for some personal work, he said.
