Police stepped up vigil at the border points with Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh in the border mandals of the district to prevent Maoist rebels from entering the State amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to sources, police are maintaining a constant vigil at all the inter-State entry points to keep a tab on the movement of Maoists in the present pandemic situation.
The move comes in the wake of unconfirmed reports that some Maoist rebels in Dandakaranya forest region, straddling the Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar division, are suffering from COVID-19. Police sources said a woman Maoist leader of the neighbouring Bastar division, carrying a reward of ₹25 lakh on her head, was among those affected by COVID.
On Saturday, Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt called upon the “ailing” Maoists to quit the banned organisation and seek police help to avail COVID treatment. Amid the second wave of COVID pandemic, the district police are continuing the area domination and combing operations in the border mandals in coordination with the CRPF personnel by strictly adhering to COVID-19 safety precautions, sources added.
A close watch is being maintained on the movement of vehicles, including ambulances, coming from the neighbouring States to foil attempts, if any, by the extremists to enter into the State in the guise of patients, a police officer of a border mandal in the district, who did not wish to be identified, said.
