RAIPUR: Less than five days before Bastar goes to the polls, Maoists kidnapped and killed three villagers in insurgency-hit Kanker district late Wednesday night, accusing them of working for the police of neighbouring Maharashtra.
Questions are being asked of police as security has been strengthened in all of Bastar in view of the elections, and the PM’s visit Thursday.
The victims – Kulle Katlam (35), Manoj Kovachi (22), and Dugge Kovachi (27) – were kidnapped from Chotebethiya village in Pakhanjur, around 250km from Raipur. This region is close to Gadchiroli and the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border. Maoist leaflets found on the scene accuse the trio of being informers for C-60, the anti-Naxalite force of the Maharashtra police.
Questions are being asked of police as security has been strengthened in all of Bastar in view of the elections, and the PM’s visit Thursday.
The victims – Kulle Katlam (35), Manoj Kovachi (22), and Dugge Kovachi (27) – were kidnapped from Chotebethiya village in Pakhanjur, around 250km from Raipur. This region is close to Gadchiroli and the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border. Maoist leaflets found on the scene accuse the trio of being informers for C-60, the anti-Naxalite force of the Maharashtra police.
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Locals said some unidentified people approached Kulle, Manoj and Dugge on Wednesday evening and sought directions to a certain address. The three helpfully walked with them to show them the way. They were never seen again.
Hours later, some unidentified men went to the village and told the victims’ families to “collect their bodies, dumped on the outskirts”.
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