Maoist violence continues to plague the Bastar region as two tribal women were brutally murdered by insurgents in separate incidents on December 6 and December 7, taking the death toll in Maoist-linked violence in the district to five in just one week. The victims, accused of being police informers, were subjected to horrifying public executions, sending shockwaves through their communities.
In a harrowing incident on December 7 night, 40-year-old Sukura Yellam from Loded village was abducted along with her husband, Ramaiya Yellam, by a group of armed Maoists. They were dragged to a jungle three kilometers from their home and presented before a ‘Jan Adalat’—a Maoist-run kangaroo court.
Before a crowd of hundreds of villagers forcibly gathered by the insurgents, the couple was accused of spying for Telangana police. Sukura Yellam was savagely beaten before the extremists slit her throat in full view of her husband and the terrified audience. Her mutilated body was discovered on the outskirts of the village early Sunday morning. A note left by the Maoists in red ink claimed responsibility, accusing the woman of providing intelligence that enabled Telangana’s Greyhound forces to conduct a deadly operation on December 1, killing seven Maoists.
In another chilling incident on Friday night, Maoists stormed Timapur village and barged into the home of 45-year-old Laxmi Padam, an Anganwadi worker. Accused of being a police informer, she was dragged out of her house despite desperate attempts by her family, including her children, to intervene. She was strangled to death in their presence.
A note left by the Madded area committee of Maoists accused Padam of aiding police operations. Her murder has left the community in grief and fear.
Earlier in the week, two former sarpanchs affiliated with the BJP—Sukh Ram and Suklu Farsa—were killed in separate attacks in Bhairamgarh and Nemed villages. Both were accused of collaborating with law enforcement, marking a disturbing escalation in targeted violence against civilians suspected of aiding security forces.
Bijapur district, part of the conflict-ridden Bastar region, has become a hotbed of Maoist violence this year. According to police records, at least 64 civilians have been killed in Maoist-linked violence in the region since January, alongside the deaths of 210 Maoists and 18 security personnel.
Authorities condemned the killings and intensified operations to track down the insurgents responsible. “Such brutal acts show the desperation of Maoists who are losing ground due to intensified anti-insurgency operations,” said a senior police official.
