Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), May 15 (PTI): Rolo, a two-year-old female sniffer dog of the CRPF, was the only casualty suffered by the security forces during their biggest anti-Naxal operation at the Korgotalu hills as the four-legged soldier was attacked and stung around 200 times by a swarm of bees.

Officials told PTI that the canine was tasked with sniffing out explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the mega 21-day operation that concluded on May 11. Rolo was killed in action on April 27, they said.

The CRPF DG has awarded a commendation medal to the dog posthumously.

The security forces led by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police units have claimed to have killed 31 Maoists, a "deadly blow" to the armed cadres of the Naxalites.

A total of 18 troops were injured, including some who underwent leg amputation due to blast injuries, in this operation that the forces said was the "biggest coordinated" operation against the Maoists till date.

The Korgotalu hills lie on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border (Bijapur and Mulugu districts of the two states respectively) and are home to wild animals, including bears, insects and bees, apart from water bodies and natural caves. The dense jungle makes them an ideal hideout for the Naxals.

Rolo, a Belgian Shepherd, was carrying out a search operation when the party was suddenly attacked by the swarm of bees on April 27, a senior CRPF official said.

Rolo's handlers covered it with a polythene sheet but the bees slipped inside and bit it. Due to intense pain and irritation, the dog went berserk and came out of the cover, making it vulnerable to more stings, the officials said.

The dog was stung around 200 times and fell unconscious. She was evacuated from the spot and emergency treatment was given to her by the handlers, the officials said.

However, Rolo succumbed to the pain on the way to a medical facility on April 27 and was declared brought dead by the veterinarians of the force.

The dog was deployed for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh in April last year after being trained at the CRPF canine training centre at Taralu near Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.

The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).

"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.

The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.

The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.

Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.

They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.

Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.