Report of Madanwada incident presented in Assembly: Commission said, IPS Mukesh Gupta sat in a bulletproof car near the spot, but did nothing

In this Naxalite attack that took place 12 years ago, 29 policemen including the then SP Vinod Shankar Choubey were martyred.

A truth of the Naxalite attack in Madanwada of Rajnandgaon district about 12 years ago became public on Wednesday. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel placed the report of Justice Shambhunath Srivastava Judicial Inquiry Commission in the assembly. In this report, a blueprint of the circumstances and strategic mistakes of the encounter that took place on 12 July 2009 has been presented. The commission has raised serious questions on the role of suspended IPS Mukesh Gupta.
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The commission’s report clearly states, it is a very sad situation that in the presence of IG Zone, the Naxalites took out bullet proof jackets, shoes, weapons and other things from the dead bodies of a martyred SP and other policemen. Some witnesses have claimed that they opened fire on the Naxalites, but to no avail. It looks unbelievable, either they didn’t fire at the naxals or they were aiming the whole time. It is not bravery to stand as a silent spectator to the Naxalites. Had the police opened fire on the Naxalites, people on their side would have also suffered casualties. It is an accepted fact that no one was killed from the Naxal side in that encounter.

The commission has said, if the Commander / IG Zone had acted wisely or had shown courage, then the result would have been completely different. He had enough time to use them by calling in the CRPF or the CAF. The commission has recorded, it appears that he too was fearing for his life. At the same time, he pushed SP Vinod Choubey into an advance attack to counter the Naxalites. It has clearly come in evidence that IG Zone (Mukesh Gupta) was sitting in his bulletproof car. He didn’t do anything as mentioned in his award quote.

Gupta was present near Manpur from 9.30 am to 5.15 am.

The report of the Justice Shambhunath Srivastava Commission states that the Maoists had also produced a CD of the attack. This is also available on record. It was shown that after killing 29 officers and jawans and looting goods, Naxalites are celebrating the festival. This CD shows several versions of the carelessness, inattention of Commander Mukesh Gupta. The commission has recorded that Mukesh Gupta was present in the incident area from 9.30 am to 5.15 pm. All the casualties took place in his presence.

Naxalites were intercepting the message of the police

The commission’s investigation has revealed that Naxalites were intercepting wireless messages of police in Madanwada Ambush. It came to the investigation that after the Ambush of Madanwada, the Naxalites caught a message from the police. After that he planted an ambush in Korkottee village. The policemen who came out on a motorcycle to go towards Madanwada easily became the victim of their bullets. Martyr SP Vinod Choubey had warned of this danger, but the information of Ambush could not be conveyed to him.

IB had given information about Naxalite gathering

It has also come in the investigation that SIB and Intelligence Department had also informed about the gathering of Naxalites in Manpur, Madanwada area. This information was given to the IG Zone. Even after that, no specific plan was made for the operation in that area.

What happened in Madanwada that day

On the morning of 12 July 2009, Naxalites ambushed the police team near Madanwada village of Rajnandgaon district. In this, 29 policemen including the then Superintendent of Police Vinod Choubey were martyred. Of these, 25 soldiers were martyred in the forest of Korokotti, 2 in Madanwada and in the exercise of bringing back the dead bodies of the martyred comrades. This was the first time when the SP of a district was martyred in the attack of Naxalites.