Raipur: In a tragic set of developments reported from Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) have reportedly carried out a series of targeted attack on civilians, killing four of them in Bijapur district.
In the first incident, around two dozen cadres of the proscribed group attacked a ration shop owner in Lingapur village under the jurisdiction of Usur police station limits on late evening May 11, hacking him to death. The extremists later fled the scene.
The deceased villager has been identified as Naga Bhandari, a resident of Madudbaka village who had gone to attend a social function at Lingapur. He was said to be associated with the Congress party.
According to reports, the Maoists had also executed his brother Tirupati Bhandari in a targeted attack carried out around six months ago. The police has reportedly launched a probe into Naga’s murder and efforts are on to identify and catch the Maoists involved in the gruesome act.
Maoists execute three civilians in Pamed
Meanwhile in similar incidents, cadres of the banned group have reportedly executed three innocent villagers in a series of targeted attacks carried out under the limits of Pamed police station.
According to media reports, the ultras have murdered a Shikhshadoot (contractual teacher) associated with a school at Meenagatta village along executing a cook and another villager in Kanchal village of Pamed.
The deceased Shikshadoot Ashok Muchaki was targeted when he was surveying the school kids in the village. More details about the killings carried out at Meenagatta and Kanchal are still awaited.
Significantly, the incidents of civilian killings have taken place amidst intensified campaign by the forces in Bijapur and other adjoining areas.
Operation continues at Karregutta, 31 gunned-down so far
Earlier reports emerged that as many as 31 Maoists have been so far neutralised in the ongoing major operation being carried out near Karregutta hills of Bijapur along the Tealangana border.
The police has ascertained the identities of 11 Maoists and their bodies have been handed over to their families, following post-mortem examination. The identities of the rest of the Maoists killed in action are being ascertained.
The security forces during the operation have reportedly seized 40 weapons alongside recovering approximately 2 tons of explosive materials. Around 400 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have also been recovered.
The operation was launched following inputs about presence of several top Maoist leaders in the dense forest along the Karregutta hills, infamous for Maoist activities since long. The operation is still reported to be underway and more details about its outcome are awaited.
It is worth mentioning here that the year 2024 witnessed a surge in incidents of civilian killings in areas dominated by the outlawed group with over 60 incidents of civilian killings reported from insurgency-hit pockets of the state.
The security forces on the other hand had also amped up their campaigns in the affected zones of bastar and adjoining areas, neutralising over 350 Maoists in separate operation launched in the state since January last year
