Naxals kill villager for being ‘police informer’

Raipur: A villager from Kanker district in Chhattisgarh was allegedly killed by Maoists on the suspicion of being a police informer, police said today.

The victim, Satru Ram, was allegedly shot dead by the rebels at his native place Tiralgarh village under Bande police station limits late last night, Kanker Deputy Superintendent of Police Jayant Vaishnav told PTI.

“Ram was picked up by some armed Naxals from his house in Tiralgarh last night and his blood-stained body was found this morning in the village, located around 300 km away from the state capital, Raipur, following which police were informed,” he said.

As per preliminary investigation, Naxals had accused him of working as a police informer prior to his murder, the DSP said.

A case has been registered in this connection, the official said, adding that a search has been launched in the forests to nab the assailants.

In a separate incident, five Maoists, one of them carrying a cash reward on his head, were arrested today from the insurgency hit-Sukma district.

“Based on intelligence inputs, the cadres were rounded up by a joint team of security forces from a weekly market at Korra village under Gadiras police station limits,” Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said.

A composite squad of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), STF (Special Task Force) and district police were carrying out an area domination exercise in the interiors of Gadiras region when they got a tip-off about the presence of rebels in the weekly market.

Those held were identified as Sodhi Joga (30), Sodhi Kosa (28), Madkam Ranga (22), Madvi Budhra (25) and Sodhi Deva alias Malir (28), he said.

Joga, who was wanted in connection with an abduction and murder case, was carrying a reward of Rs 5,000 on his head, the ASP added.