RAIPUR: Two teachers are suspected to have been killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Monday night, police said on Tuesday.
The suspected killings took place in Indravati National Park under Farsegarh police station limits, which is one of the most inaccessible areas in south Bastar.
Inspector general (IG) of police, Bastar range, Sunderraj P said that police have acknowledged the incident and begun an investigation, though full details are still being verified. The bodies of the deceased have not yet been recovered and search operations are underway in the forests.
The victims have been identified as Vinod Maade, a resident of Pillur village who was posted as a Shiksha Doot (education volunteer) in Kondapadgu village, and Suresh Metta, 29, a resident of Tekameta village, who was working as a Shiksha Doot in his native village.
“Due to the interior and forested terrain of the crime scene, the bodies of the deceased have not yet been recovered. Search operations are underway, and police teams are trying to reach the location for confirmation and recovery,” the IG said.
“Initial reports suggest that the two education volunteers were suspected by Maoists of acting as police informants, which is a common accusation used by insurgents to justify such killings,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“Initial reports suggest that the two education volunteers were suspected by Maoists of acting as police informants, which is a common accusation used by insurgents to justify such killings,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}However, the Maoists have not taken responsibility for the killing so far, and no pamphlets or messages have been recovered from the site.
This latest incident comes amid an alarming increase in civilian killings in Maoist-affected areas.
According to official data, 24 civilians have been killed in Maoist-related violence so far in 2025, following 71 civilian deaths recorded in 2024.
Security officials note that this trend is directly linked to the intensified anti-Maoist operations across Bastar over the past year. As security forces push deeper into Maoist strongholds, insurgents appear to be retaliating by targeting suspected informants and government-linked personnel.