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Patnaik orders probe into security lacunae at arms depots

Prafulla Das

Rs. 10 lakh each to family of policemen killed in naxal attack

NAYAGARH (ORISSA): Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik air-dashed to Nayagarh town on Saturday and visited the armouries looted in the naxalite attack late on Friday night.

Talking to presspersons before flying back to Bhubaneswar, Mr. Patnaik said a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each would be paid to the family of the policemen killed.

On his return, Mr. Patnaik told the Assembly that a massive manhunt had been mounted.

In the evening, he held a high-level meeting at the State Secretariat to review the situation. The Centre had agreed to his request to send 100 greyhound personnel to assist the State police, he said.

Mr. Patnaik directed the State Home Secretary to conduct an inquiry into lacunae in the security at the arms depots and submit a report within a week.

Top officials from the Centre, including an official of Additional Home Secretary rank and a senior official of the CRPF, have arrived in the State to take stock of the situation.

Nayagarh Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said six policemen were killed at the district armoury, four at the police training school arms depot and two at the police station located close to the armoury.

As the attacks began in the district headquarters town, other Maoist groups at the same time struck at Mahipur police outpost, 11 km away, Nuagaon police station, 20 km away, and Daspalla police station, 40 km away from the town.

According to Mr. Kumar, at least 1100 arms, including pistols, rifles, light machine guns, single loaded rifles and AK-47s were looted. While around 650 arms were taken away from the police training school arms depot, 400 arms were looted from the district armoury and four guns each from the three police stations.

More than one lakh live bullets were also taken away from the police training school depot.

The number of bullets looted from the district armoury was yet to be ascertained, police said.

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