Two villagers were brutally killed with sharp weapons by suspected Maoists in south Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. Officials say the heightened security pressure has led to desperation among Maoist cadres, prompting them to target unarmed civilians.
According to police, a group of four to five armed Maoists entered the village of Chhutwai late Sunday night and attacked 55-year-old Kawasi Joga, a resident of Chhutwai, and 50-year-old Manglu Kursam, from the nearby village of Bade Tarem.
Both victims were killed on the spot. The assailants fled towards the forest immediately after the attack.
Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Gavarna, speaking to The Statesman, confirmed the incident and said, “Multiple police teams have been dispatched for a search operation in the area. Security forces are conducting intensive combing operations to track down those responsible.”
The killings are believed to be an act of retaliation by Maoists aiming to instill fear among local villagers, especially at a time when large-scale anti-Naxal operations are underway across the Bastar division.
So far this year, nearly 27 people have lost their lives to Maoist violence in the Bastar region, which spans seven districts, including Bijapur. The latest killings come just days after a 16-year-old tribal boy was seriously injured in a pressure IED blast allegedly triggered by Maoists on July 20 in Kondapadgu village. The boy had reportedly stepped on the explosive while grazing cattle in the forest.
Security forces believe that as Maoist influence wanes in several pockets of Bastar, they are resorting to sporadic but brutal attacks to reassert their presence. “This is a clear attempt to create panic and demonstrate their continued control over remote areas,” a senior police official said.
Local authorities have intensified patrols, and additional reinforcements have been sent to the region. As of Monday afternoon, the search for the attackers was ongoing, and no arrests had been reported so far.