Nearly 200 Maoists held a ‘janata darbar’ at Dadapur in Gadchiroli before planting the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that claimed 16 lives in the Naxal-affected district on Wednesday, investigating officers said. “The Maoists were mostly in the age group of 20 to 25, and a majority of them were women. A team from the Purkheda police station, about three kilometres away, left for Dadapur, while also seeking reinforcements. The QRT team that was martyred in the attack had responded to the Purkheda police’s call and was on its way when it was targeted. “We will also sanction a compensation of ₹1 crore through the State government to the families of the martyrs,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

Source: The Hindu May 02, 2019 16:48 UTC