A 22-year-old man was killed allegedly by the Maoists on the suspicion of being a police informer at village Pipartola in Balaghat district, police said on Sunday.
Two villagers – Surendra Singh Dhurve and Jangla Baiga alias Rajkumar (27) – were allegedly abducted by armed Maoists on Friday. They were taken to the interior parts of the region where Dhruve was executed. The Maoists also beat up Baiga, but he managed to escape.
Dhruve’s body was found on the village outskirts on Saturday night, police said, adding that the Maoists suspected he had informed the police about their movement which led to the encounter in Chukkatola–Bhagwandeeh forest area on April 7.
Balaghat range inspector general of police DC Sagar said: “It is yet to be ascertained if any particular group of Maoists (dalam) is behind the killing…More clues are being gathered from the area to track down those involved in killing of the innocent villager.”
Police have declared a reward of Rs 30,000 for information on the whereabouts of the left-wing extremists who have allegedly killed the villager.
Maoists activity in Balaghat, the district worst affected by left wing extremism in Madhya Pradesh, have increased over the last few months putting the police force alert.
On April 11, over a dozen Maoists set a truck at Dhiri Murum village in Mataghat jungles on fire. The truck, laden with bamboo, was on its way to Lanjhi from Nandaura when the incident took place. Maoists, however, did not harm truck driver Jehangir and labourers. They reportedly asked the men to get down from the truck before setting the vehicle afire.
{{/usCountry}}On April 11, over a dozen Maoists set a truck at Dhiri Murum village in Mataghat jungles on fire. The truck, laden with bamboo, was on its way to Lanjhi from Nandaura when the incident took place. Maoists, however, did not harm truck driver Jehangir and labourers. They reportedly asked the men to get down from the truck before setting the vehicle afire.
{{/usCountry}}The rebels allegedly gave some pamphlets to the truck driver and labourers demands a hike in the wages of labourers engaged in plucking tendu leaves in the area.
Jehangir later lodged a report at Lanji police station after which a search operation was launched in the area.
Earlier, a group of Maoists allegedly kidnapped more than 12 sarpanchs from the district. They were let off after a warning, directing them to either release the payment for people engaged in MGNREGS works within two weeks or resign from their posts.
On April 7, a woman rebel was injured in a gun battle between the left-wing extremists and the joint forces of Madhya Pradesh Anti-Maoist Hawk Force, Central Security Force and Balaghat district police in the jungles between Chukkatola and Bhagwandeeh.
The Maoists were camping in the jungles in Balaghat district to extort money from contractors of tendu leaf plucking on the Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh-Maharashatra trisection.