Dantewada:
Dantewada administration has denied that a garbage truck was used to ferry bodies of jawans killed by Maoists in a landmine blast on Sunday night.
"It was a clean vehicle. That was not for garbage and was properly maintained. They (jawans) were taken with full honours. IG police, DIG, SP and I were present. All family members were present. The martyrs were honoured in the presence of all these people. It is being made an issue unnecessarily," Dantewada DM OP Choudhary told NDTV.
The trucks used to transport the coffins of three Chhattisgarh policemen were hired from the local municipality. Police in the area, who asked for the trucks, have clarified that as no ambulances were available, they used the trucks which were cleaned and plastic put on it.
"No ambulance was available at the time... only municipality vehicle was available," Director General of Police (DGP) Vishwa Ranjan said. He said the mini-truck was washed and cleaned before the coffins were placed on it.
"After having spoken to the Collector and the SP, it has become clear that the car was properly washed and then covered with flowers and sent. There is no question of disrespecting soldiers, the truck which was used is a multipurpose vehicle," Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said.
The family members of the martyred policemen have objected to the use of these trucks and say their men were insulted.
The bodies of Laxman Bhagat, Aslan Ekka and Bhushan Mandwai were brought to district headquarters Dantewada town from the blast site in Kirandul, some 40 km away, on Monday. The bodies were then dispatched to the policemen's respective native villages.
Dantewada's Superintendent of Police Ankit Garg admitted that it was a municipality vehicle, but declined to elaborate.
When asked whether it was a garbage vehicle, he said after a long silence: "I don't know what kind of vehicle it was, but it was a municipality vehicle." (With IANS Inputs)