Gadchiroli: With no intelligence input, the IED blast in Gadchiroli on Maharashtra Day might be the naxals' response to a high voter turnout in the district despite their call for boycotting elections, local leaders told mid-day. A high-level committee including the Minister of State (Home) was to visit the DRDO centre in Gadchiroli to buy new gadgets for the anti-naxal operations here.

"We were to enhance our forces with the latest technological assistance and had thus planned a visit to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to check new gadgets and procure them for our forces. We had already discussed this last week in a high-level meeting," said MoS (Home) Deepak Keserkar. "We are determined to uproot the naxal moment from Maharashtra and won't let go the sacrifice of our brave Quick Response Team (QRT) jawans go in vain," he added.