M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, July 23: The recovery of 40 mm HE grenades by the SIT Latehar has stunned the district police, as well as the state police, headquarters.
Latehar SP Anjani Anjan said, “Our SIT has recovered thirty 40mm HE grenades. It has been recovered from the Seerum jungles in Balumath.”
SP Anjani Anjan had held a press briefing today in Latehar with the SIT set up to probe the JMM leader murder case.
He further said, “These 40 mm HE grenades are highly state of the art. It is the most advanced version of the grenades. They are not even with the CRPF. But we recovered them from the dump of the banned Naxal outfit TSPC. This is very strange.”
The 40 mm HE grenade has a strike range of 375 meters. It propels 6 grenades in one launch of it.
The SP informed that this recovery of 40 mm HE is the first of its kind in Jharkhand so far. “We would try to find out as to how the TSPC could lay hands on it,” he added.
Sources said it is not known if the CPI Maoists have this grenade or not. It gives immense teeth to any Naxal outfit. The 40 mm HE is used to targeting vehicles, security forces installations and other vital installations.
These sophisticated grenades were recovered from the clues given by Mangra, the dreaded TSPC ultra who was nabbed by the SIT in connection with the murder of a JMM leader Dilsher Khan who was gunned down in Balumath on 24.2.2022. Mangra has been remanded in judicial custody today in Latehar.
“We have so far arrested and jailed 5 ultras including this dreaded Mangra of the TSPC in the murder case of Khan,” the SP said.
Among the latest haul of ammunition is more than 6,000 cartridges of different bores and weapons.
