Facing reverses, Maoists start ‘targeted’ killings of tribal cops in C’garh, Vid
* Maoists have killed nine Auxiliary Constables in Bijapur district, two
in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, and two in Gadchiroli district of
Maharashtra this year
By Kartik Lokhande
Fed up of violence unleashed by the Maoists, tribals were sometimes passing on information to cops in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and adjoining districts of Bijapur and Sukma in neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh. As their information proved vital in some anti-Maoist operations, now the Maoists have started ‘targeted’ killings of tribal who have joined police or are assisting cops one way or the other.
In Gadchiroli district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Maoists recently abducted and killed Shankar Wadde (50) from village Mallempodur. The Maoists also killed Pidu Bange Pungati (50), Police Patil of village Ghotpadi, and later held a meeting at village Nelgonda to issue a threat to ‘people assisting cops’. Before killing Wadde, the Left Wing Extremists took him to various places over two days and tortured him into revealing names of ‘tribals assisting cops’ or tribals working as cops at local level.
The Maoists issued pamphlets with names of tribals ‘assisting’ cops. Through the pamphlets, Bhamragarh Area Commander issued a threat to these tribals asking them to ‘stop working for cops’ and also to ‘tender apology to people and Party if they wanted to live with their parents and family’. According to Arvind Sovani, Joint Secretary of Bhumkal Sanghatan, the pamphlets are a sort of ‘hit list’ of those ‘suspected’ of assisting cops. “Some of those named in Maoist pamphlets are nowhere related to cops except for being men delivering milk ro grocery to cops. Two youngsters are trying for a job in a marketing company at Allapalli, and are not related to cops. It is time that the Maoists, who call themselves as protectors of human rights, shun killing tribals only on suspicion,” he said.
The pamphlets issued by Bhamragarh Area Committee name Lalsu Hoyami, Namdeo Bhurse, Vairagade from village Mallempodur; Ashok Somankar, Wasudeo Gedam, Manga Kannake, Jitendra Kannake, Motiram Kannake, Narayan Bhandekar from Dhodraj; Nandu Mahaka from Pengunda; Baju Majji and Juru Majji from Midadapalli; Naresh Korami and Santosh Gumma from Laheri area; and others. Maoists have branded some of these as ‘SPO’ or Special Police Officers.
Abducting, killing, and threatening tribals -- SPOs or non-SPOs -- is a part of the Maoists’ strategy of ‘targeted killings’. For, Maoists feel that they have been facing reverses due to police action backed by actionable intelligence inputs provided by tribals in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and adjoining districts of Chhattisgarh.
This year, the Maoists have killed nine Auxiliary Constables of Chhattisgarh Police in Bijapur district. In April, Maoists abducted and killed Sundar Kashyap posted in Mirtur police station, Bhagirathi Kartam of Kutaru police station, and Bira Basant in Chhattisgarh. In June, Telam Dokka posted in Talipenta police station was killed. Four Auxiliary Constables namely Jaydev Yadav, Rama Majji, Mangal Sodhi, and Rajuram Telam were killed in July. In September, the ultra-Leftists killed Kudium Pandu posted in Farsegad police camp of Bijapur district in Bastar division. Besides, one of the two local tribal cops posted in Sukma district was killed and another was released by Maoists.
Cops trying to relocate families of persons on Maoist ‘hit list’
Gadchiroli Police are trying to relocate the families of persons named in the recent Maoist pamphlets, to safer places to ensure that tribals -- SPOs or non-SPOs -- are not killed by the Maoist terrorists.
“We are making arrangements in this regard. For, we do not want any tribal to fall victim to violence unleashed by Maoists,” said Ravindra Kadam, Inspector General of Police (Nagpur Range), who holds additional charge of Gadchiroli Range. According to Kadam, the Maoists have been killing tribals who were working as Special Police Officers or Police Patils, and even those having no connection with cops. For, he said, the Maoists had suffered set-backs in the recent times.
By Kartik Lokhande
Fed up of violence unleashed by the Maoists, tribals were sometimes passing on information to cops in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and adjoining districts of Bijapur and Sukma in neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh. As their information proved vital in some anti-Maoist operations, now the Maoists have started ‘targeted’ killings of tribal who have joined police or are assisting cops one way or the other.
In Gadchiroli district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Maoists recently abducted and killed Shankar Wadde (50) from village Mallempodur. The Maoists also killed Pidu Bange Pungati (50), Police Patil of village Ghotpadi, and later held a meeting at village Nelgonda to issue a threat to ‘people assisting cops’. Before killing Wadde, the Left Wing Extremists took him to various places over two days and tortured him into revealing names of ‘tribals assisting cops’ or tribals working as cops at local level.
The Maoists issued pamphlets with names of tribals ‘assisting’ cops. Through the pamphlets, Bhamragarh Area Commander issued a threat to these tribals asking them to ‘stop working for cops’ and also to ‘tender apology to people and Party if they wanted to live with their parents and family’. According to Arvind Sovani, Joint Secretary of Bhumkal Sanghatan, the pamphlets are a sort of ‘hit list’ of those ‘suspected’ of assisting cops. “Some of those named in Maoist pamphlets are nowhere related to cops except for being men delivering milk ro grocery to cops. Two youngsters are trying for a job in a marketing company at Allapalli, and are not related to cops. It is time that the Maoists, who call themselves as protectors of human rights, shun killing tribals only on suspicion,” he said.
The pamphlets issued by Bhamragarh Area Committee name Lalsu Hoyami, Namdeo Bhurse, Vairagade from village Mallempodur; Ashok Somankar, Wasudeo Gedam, Manga Kannake, Jitendra Kannake, Motiram Kannake, Narayan Bhandekar from Dhodraj; Nandu Mahaka from Pengunda; Baju Majji and Juru Majji from Midadapalli; Naresh Korami and Santosh Gumma from Laheri area; and others. Maoists have branded some of these as ‘SPO’ or Special Police Officers.
Abducting, killing, and threatening tribals -- SPOs or non-SPOs -- is a part of the Maoists’ strategy of ‘targeted killings’. For, Maoists feel that they have been facing reverses due to police action backed by actionable intelligence inputs provided by tribals in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and adjoining districts of Chhattisgarh.
This year, the Maoists have killed nine Auxiliary Constables of Chhattisgarh Police in Bijapur district. In April, Maoists abducted and killed Sundar Kashyap posted in Mirtur police station, Bhagirathi Kartam of Kutaru police station, and Bira Basant in Chhattisgarh. In June, Telam Dokka posted in Talipenta police station was killed. Four Auxiliary Constables namely Jaydev Yadav, Rama Majji, Mangal Sodhi, and Rajuram Telam were killed in July. In September, the ultra-Leftists killed Kudium Pandu posted in Farsegad police camp of Bijapur district in Bastar division. Besides, one of the two local tribal cops posted in Sukma district was killed and another was released by Maoists.
Cops trying to relocate families of persons on Maoist ‘hit list’
Gadchiroli Police are trying to relocate the families of persons named in the recent Maoist pamphlets, to safer places to ensure that tribals -- SPOs or non-SPOs -- are not killed by the Maoist terrorists.
“We are making arrangements in this regard. For, we do not want any tribal to fall victim to violence unleashed by Maoists,” said Ravindra Kadam, Inspector General of Police (Nagpur Range), who holds additional charge of Gadchiroli Range. According to Kadam, the Maoists have been killing tribals who were working as Special Police Officers or Police Patils, and even those having no connection with cops. For, he said, the Maoists had suffered set-backs in the recent times.
(20-10-15)
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