A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was shot dead by suspected Maoists in Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Friday night, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Sagar Sahu, vice president of the Narayanpur district unit of the BJP. This is the second incident in the last one week in which a BJP leader was killed by suspected Maoists in Bastar region.
Sahu was shot in front of his family members at his home in Chhotedongar village by two unidentified persons, who barged into the house around 9pm and fled away from the spot after the murder.
He was rushed to the local hospital in Chhotedongar and was later referred to district hospital of Narayanpur, where he succumbed to injuries.
No Maoist pamphlet or document taking responsibility for the killing was found from the spot but police suspect that it could be handiwork of the Maoists, police added.
“Prima facie the incident seems to be the handiwork of a small action team of Maoists but we are investigating the killing from all angles. A combing operation has been launched in a nearby forest,” said inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P.
Police officials familiar with the matter said that Sahu was on the hit-list of Maoists for the last few years because he was supporting mining in nearby areas. “He was also threatened by Maoists last year. A pamphlet was found last year in which Maoists warned him for his support for mining,” said a police official who did not wish to be named.
{{/usCountry}}Police officials familiar with the matter said that Sahu was on the hit-list of Maoists for the last few years because he was supporting mining in nearby areas. “He was also threatened by Maoists last year. A pamphlet was found last year in which Maoists warned him for his support for mining,” said a police official who did not wish to be named.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, BJP president JP Nadda, who was on a day-long visit to Bastar, visited Sahu’s house on Saturday and met his family members. He expressed his condolences and said the whole party stands with the family of the deceased.
“Naxal attacks under the Congress government are continuously increasing and BJP leaders are targeted. In the last one month , three local BJP leaders were killed which reflects the condition of Bastar region,” said Nadda in adding that the party will fight ideological battle with Maoists in a democratic manner and will also win it.
On January 2, a 40-year-old BJP leader of Bastar’s Bijapur district was killed by suspected Maoists when he went to attend a wedding in Paikram village under Awapalli police station area.
The leader, Neelkanth Kakem, president of Awapalli Mandal of the BJP, was hacked to death in the marriage ceremony in front of his relatives.
Around a month ago, a BJP leader and former sarpanch of Usoor area was killed by unidentified persons in Bijapur. However, police have till now not confirmed that Maoists were behind the killing but the accused are still at large.