KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Oct 14: A squad of CPI-Maoist Naxals destroyed an Airtel tower under the Chotanagra Thana area of Naxal-infested Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district, about 180 km away from here, at the early hours today.
The subversive act by the Naxals took place at Bagda village in Chotanagra police station area of Saranda at about 1.00 am during what is called “Pratisodh Saptah.”
An armed squad of Naxals arrived near the mobile phone tower and moved around the village, asking the villagers to remain confined to their respective homes. Then the rebels poured petrol on the panel box and battery chamber of the tower before setting them on fire.
While the rebels were on an arson spree at the mobile phone tower, the intense sound of the explosion filled the serene atmosphere of the village, triggering a sensation among the villagers.
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Before leaving the spot, the Naxals had fixed banners and posters claiming the act was in response to the ongoing anti-Naxal operation launched by the police and paramilitary forces in Saranda.
This is the second incident of destroying the Airtel tower to have taken place in Saranda during the past 48 hours.
Earlier on the intervening night of Sunday, the Naxals had ruined a mobile phone tower belonging to the Airtel company at Kol hoga village under Jeraikela thana area in Saranda.
Though the reason behind destroying the mobile phone towers is claimed to be the reaction of the ongoing anti-Naxal operation, the real intention behind such act is to paralyse the communication network in Saranda so that carrying out operations by the police and paramilitary forces is affected.
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As a result of two Airtel towers’ destruction, a communication network problem cropped up in Saranda. Banks’ transactions have stopped, residents are bereft of making payments through QR Code and online education in schools has also stopped apart from the communication between the police and paramilitary forces there.
On getting to know about the subversive acts, the police and paramilitary forces have started intense operations across Saranda.
