Raipur: In yet another incident of civilian killing carried out by CPI [Maoist] members, a 30-year-old youth was brutally hacked to death in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.
The horrific incident unfolded near Silger under the jurisdiction of Jagargunda police station limits on Wednesday, leaving the locals in a terrified state.
The slain individual was identified as Lakshman Barse, an original resident of Bijapur district who was working as an education volunteer [Shikshadoot] in Silger
A group of Maoists on Wednesday evening picked up Barse, hacking him to death with a sharp edge weapon on alleged charges of being an informer. The ultras also assaulted those who tried to intervene.
The authorities following the incident have reportedly initiated an enquiry into the matter.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns over safety of civilians in Maoist affected regions, particularly of those associated with teaching jobs in interior areas. In another incident recently, the extremists had brutally executed a civilian on similar charges of espionage.
The incident unfolded when a group of Maoists barged into the Binagunda village under the jurisdiction of Chotebethiya police station of Kanker on August 18, abducting a villager Manesh Naruti.
Naruti was later paraded before a Jan Adalat [A self-styled court of Maoist] where the ultras executed him on charges of espionage.
Days before his execution, Naruti was seen hoisting the tricolor in his village on the occasion of independence day, an act which had irked the ultras.
Maoists had also dropped posters and banner, issuing death threats to Naruti and a few other villagers for alleged espionage activities.
Two Shikshadoots killed in Bijapur
It is worth mentioning here that this is overall sixth incident of an education volunteer killed by members of the dreaded group in Bastar in the last two years.
Earlier in July Maoists had brutally executed two education Shikshadoots in back to back incidents in violence-ridden Bijapur district.
Armed member of the unlawful group barged into Pailur village and abducted Vinod Made, a Shikshadoot on late night of July 14. Made was forcibly taken to nearby forest and executed.
In a similar incident reported from Tekameta village, another educator Suresh Metta was also picked up and killed by Maoists.
The killings underscore the grave security threat posed by Maoists to the civilian population, residing in areas marred by red terror.
Notably the recent incidents of civilian killing have unfolded amidst intensified campaign of security forces which has pushed the banned group on back foot.
Officials operating on ground opines that targeting unarmed civilians only reflects the growing frustration of the Maoist outfit who is facing serious crunch of leadership and cadres.
