Chhattisgarh: Kin allege woman killed in fake ‘encounter’; cops call her Maoist

In the June 6 letter to the police, Payke’s family has alleged that she was picked up from her home in the middle of the night by personnel of District Reserve Guards (DRG) of the Dantewada district and killed after being raped

The family of an alleged Maoist cadre in Chhattisgarh, who was gunned down by security forces on May 31, has claimed that the police picked up Payke Veko from her house and killed her in Dantewada jungle after raping her. Police have denied these allegations, calling them baseless.

Latehar: Security personnel carry out search in Kedu forest after five hardcore Maoists were gunned down by CRPF forces in an encounter, in Latehar district of Jharkhand on Wednesday. PTI Photo (PTI4_4_2018_000222B) (PTI)

They also said that autopsy confirmed the woman had not been raped.

In the June 6 letter to the police, Payke’s family has alleged that she was picked up from her home in the middle of the night by personnel of District Reserve Guards (DRG) of the Dantewada district and killed after being raped.

Her mother, Sukki Veko, said in the letter that the DRG personnel took the woman forcibly into the jungles where she was raped before being killed and branded a Maoist cadre.

“There were bruises all over her body...marks of physical abuse,” said the letter. The family also identified seven DRG personals who allegedly barged into the house and took Payke with them.

Refuting the charges, Inspector General of Police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P, said Payke was not picked up from her house.

“On May 31, based on a tip-off about the presence of Maoist cadres from PLGA Platoon no 16, an operation was launched in Gumalnar area. An exchange of fire took place between Dantewada DRG and Maoists at around 6.30am. During a search operation later, a woman Maoist’s body was recovered which was identified as that of Peyko’s who carried a reward of ₹2 lakh. Two country-made weapons and improvised explosive devices IEDs were also recovered from the site,” he said.

He added that Peyko was a member of platoon no 16 since 2013 and her name was in the interrogation records of all surrendered Maoists of Indrawati Area Committee of CPI ( Maoist) and her platoon.

“As per National Human Rights Commission and Supreme Court guidelines, an autopsy has been done by team of doctors. Such allegations are being made against security forces only to defame and demoralize them,” he said.

Sarpanch of the Chingi village, where the alleged encounter took place, claimed that no such operation took place and Peyko was picked up from her house. “Police came to village and picked her up when she was asleep with her mother. She was getting married on June 10. There were no arms and police planted them to brand her a Maoist...She was ealier with Maoists for two months but left the movement and was living with her family for the past seven years,” said village head Ram Lal Netam.

Dantewada superintendent of police Abhishek Pallava said, “These allegations have come under pressure of Maoists. They held a meeting after the encounter on June 4 and forced the family to submit a complaint . All allegations are baseless.”

Earlier also, in February this year, tribal activist Soni Sori and a group of villagers in Dantewada had claimed that a 20-year-old woman, who allegedly died by suicide a few days after her purported surrender, was not a Maoist and was forced to surrender, raising questions over the police’s claim.

The police, however, dismissed the allegations as a campaign to discredit the special surrender drive launched in the Maoist-infested district.

In March , arrest of suspected Maoist, Madkam Hidme, in Dantewada led to a conflict, with some locals claiming she was an activist who was booked in some old cases and arrested without any warrant. The police refuted the allegations and said Hidme was involved in serious cases of Maoist violence in the recent past.