Villagers allege Bijapur encounter was fake and those killed were civilians

Police claimed the Maoists changed their uniforms and mingled with the local villagers in civilian clothes when they saw the movement of the security forces in the jungle during Friday’s operation

Two days after 12 Maoists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, villagers and activists on Sunday alleged that it was a fake encounter and those killed were civilians who were later branded by police as insurgents. They gathered outside the collectorate along with the family members of the slain Maoists who demanded the bodies of their kins.

Villagers said the deceased were shot down by the security forces while they were running in fear and surprise.

However, police maintained that all those killed were Maoists. Officials claimed that when the insurgents saw the movement of the security forces in the jungle during the operation on Friday, they changed their uniforms and mingled with the local villagers in civilian clothes.

Bijapur superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Kumar Yadav said the deceased were identified as Budhu Oyam and Kallu Punem, both members of military company no. 2 who were carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh each on their heads, Gangaloor area committee member Lakhe Kunjam and member of military platoon number 12 Bhima Karam, who were carrying a reward of ₹5 lakh each on their heads. The other deceased, militia platoon commander Sannu Lakom and vice head of Janata Sarkar (people’s government) Avlam were carrying a bounty of ₹2 lakh each, the SP said. The six others were lower-run members of the CPI (Maoist), he added.

However, Gurunanda, a resident of Pedia village who witnessed the encounter, told the media that the villagers had gone to pluck Tendu leaves and started running when the security forces moved towards them. “They were shot down by the forces while they were running in fear and surprise,” Gurunanda alleged.

Raju from Korchuli village said that they had come to the collectorate to demand the bodies of their relatives. He said, “Lalu Kunjam who was killed was not a Maoist but was a farmer. He was at home and was running away after seeing the police, when he was shot down”.

Rakesh Alvam, another villager, said his younger brother Moto Alvam was shot and is still in Pedia village. He claimed that Moto was hit by a bullet when he was plucking Tendu leaves in the jungle.

“The police have cordoned off the Pedia village and one other village Itaavar. My brother was in the jungle plucking leaves and was hit by a bullet of police force. All those killed in encounter were villagers not Maoists and they were picked up from these two villages and killed,” said Rakesh.

Rakesh Alvam also identified the deceased named in a press note issued by the Bijapur Police and claimed that all were residents of Itaavar and Pedia village.

Soni Sori, social and tribal activist working in Bastar region, alleged that the police have killed innocent villagers, and that the encounter was totally fake.

“Those killed include villagers who were plucking Tendu leaves in the jungle. They started running when they saw the police and the jawans shot them. I talked to some family members of the deceased, and they told me that some of the villagers were also picked up from their houses and killed in the jungle,” said Sori, who was present outside the collectorate along with the villagers.

Sori said she will go to Pedia village on Monday and will also approach the court. “We will file a petition in the high court because the police force has killed the innocent villagers,” she said.

Rejecting the allegations, deputy inspector general of police of South Bastar region Kamalochan Kashyap said, “The Maoists changed clothes and mingled with the villagers. All of the deceased were Maoists, not villagers. The villagers had come to take the dead bodies of the Maoist who were their relatives. A total of 70 people were brought to Gangaloor police station for questioning, of whom around 9 were hardcore Maoists. These nine Maoists have also identified the deceased Maoists as cadres of the CPI (Maoist).”

A total of 104 Maoists have been killed so far in 2024, more than the figure of 22 and 30 of 2022 and 2023, respectively. In what is believed to be a counter-reaction from the Maoists, 22 civilians have been killed by the insurgents in the first four months of 2024, more than the 2023 figure of 41. At least three of the civilians killed this year were politicians associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the biggest anti-Naxal operation in recent decades, the security forced had killed 29 rebels in Kanker district on April 16.