Complacency blamed for Orissa deaths

Director of state Intelligence Prakash Mishra said the state police were probing why so many vehicles were moving in a convoy. It looks like somebody got complacent and the incident happened. They should have followed the SOP, said Mishra.

Incidentally,three ministers of the Naveen Patnaik government had taken the same route after campaigning from Malkangiri the previous night. Mishra said the landmines might have been planted there several days ago and it could have been detonated by the Maoists when the convoy passed.

Padmanava Behera,president of Orissa Constable,Havildar and Sepoy Association,said violation of the SOP led to a large number of casualties. Operations should be immediately stopped till some problems are sorted out, he said demanding that choppers be used for movement of troops as the entire area is strewn with landmines.

Of the eight injured SOG personnel,four were shifted to Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh while the rest were admitted to nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile,the slain SOG personnel were accorded full state honours at the Koraput Reserve Police Battalion premises in the presence of senior police officers before the bodies were sent to their native places.