BIJAPUR: Two tribal villagers were brutally killed by suspected Maoists in Budigicheru village, Bijapur district, approximately 400 km south of Raipur, police reported.
“We received information that Maoists hacked two villagers to death with sharp-edged weapons during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Karam Raju, 32, and Madvi Munna, 27.
One of them happened to be a former cadre of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) and had been living in Budigicheru village. Further details are awaited,” Bijapur district police chief Jitendra Yadav told TNIE.
Police suspect the involvement of a small action team of the Maoists and have not ruled out the possibility that the duo was targeted on suspicion of being police informers.
A team of policemen has been sent to the village to investigate the incident, which occurred within the Tarrem police limits, and the requisite legal procedures are being carried out, the officer added.
With the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections approaching, the killings are seen as an attempt by Maoists to instil fear among local villagers.
Earlier on January 26, Naxalites killed a 41-year-old man in Bhairamgarh area of Bijapur, accusing him of leaking information about the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
On January 16, Naxalites killed a 48-year-old man in Mirtur area of Bijapur on the suspicion of being a police informer.
According to police, 68 civilians were killed last year in separate incidents of Naxal violence in Bastar region comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.