Maoists kill villager branding him as police informer in Jharkhand
This is the 11th civilian killed in Maoist violence - either killed by them or died in their IED blasts - in the past 10 months in the hilly terrain inside Saranda and Kokhan reserve forests in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district
Suspected extremists of banned CPI (Maoist) killed a 62-year-old villager branding him as ‘a police informer’ near Gitilata chowk under Goilkera police station area in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand late Saturday night, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday morning.
This is the 11th civilian killed in Maoist violence - either killed by them or died in their IED blasts - in the past 10 months in the hilly terrain inside Saranda and Kokhan reserve forests in the district.
“Naxalites have killed 62-year-old Rando Surin in the jungles near Lobabera late last night by slitting his throat. They branded him as a ‘police informer’ but the deceased had nothing to do with the police. A police team has rushed to the spot this morning,” Ashutosh Shekhar, West Singhbhum superintendent of police (SP) said, confirming the development on Sunday morning.
Rando Surin was a resident of Harinaurh tollah in Kadamdiha village and elder brother of Dorsena During, the deputy mukhiya of Kadamdiha panchayat. According to the villagers, Rando was dragged out by the Maoists around 8.30pm on Saturday and later threw his dead body on the main road near Gitilata chowk.
“They killed him by slitting his throat. We informed police after spotting Rando’s dead body soaked in blood this morning,” a villager said, on condition of anonymity.
The Maoists left a poster near his body warning that this would be the fate of people who work as police informer and special police officers (SPOs). Work as a labourer, farmer, agriculturist etc but don’t work as SPO or informer, the poster said. If such people surrender to us, we will forgive them, it added.
Ten villagers have been killed in IED blasts and six seriously injured since November 20 last year in Kokhan jungles, according to official records.
Three CRPF and Jharkhand Jaguar personnel-- Sushant Kunthia (August 11, 2023), Amit Tiwari and Gautam Kumar (August 14, 2023) - have been killed and 26 jawans have been injured in Maoist firing or IED blasts in the past 10 months.
“The Maoists talk of fighting to highlight and uphold the problems of the poor, downtrodden and backwards. In reality, they are killing innocent villagers. They have planted IEDs and laid booby traps everywhere in and around the jungles, which is resulting in deaths of villagers. Many jawans have also been injured. We have recovered 225 Maoist IEDs, including directional since November last year,” SP Ashutosh Shekhar told HT.
Police have been carrying out joint operations against the naxalites led by top Maoist leaders Misir Besra, Asim Mondal alias Akash and Patiram Majhi alias Anal-da (all carrying reward of ₹1 crore each on their head) in Kokhan jungles, the so-called Maoist regional headquarter now. The tri-junction of West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan and Khunti districts provide them with a strategic advantage to criss-cross from one district to another when under attack or after executing ambush of security forces.