Two tribal persons from Chhattisgarh, who were allegedly kidnapped by Naxals a few days ago from Bande in Chhattisgarh, have been found murdered near the Gatta village in Etapally Tehsil of Maharashtra’s Maoist infested district Gadchiroli. According to reports, the tribals were allegedly killed on suspicion of being police informers.
Sonu Pada and Somaji Pada were both reportedly kidnapped from the area near Tadveli forest on August 26. Another person named Panduram was also allegedly kidnapped along with the two. The bodies of Sonu and Somaji were reportedly found near the Tadguda road, which is a kilometre away from the Gatta Armed Out Post (AOP). According to reports, a pamphlet from the Bhamragarh area committee of the banned left-wing extremist outfit CPI)M) was left near the body of one of the victims. The pamphlet was reportedly addressed to the elders in the village. Both Sonu and Somaji were reportedly around 35 years old.
According to reports, the pamphlet read, “Today’s young boys and girls are mentally not equipped to understand the world. They do not have the understanding that you (the village elders) have. It is your duty to guide them on the right path. Sonu and Somaji pada have been handed down the people’s verdict for being police informers.” The pamphlet also reportedly included that Sonu and Somaji were the informers of Bande town station’s inspector Deshmukh. It went on to claim that the police were torturing villagers on the basis of the false information provided by Sonu and Somaji.
Sailesh Balkawade, the SP of Gadchiroli reportedly stated that the Bande police in Chhattisgarh will carry out the investigation as the FIR for the kidnappings was registered with them. He has also added that the police are yet to determine whether Sonu and Somaji were murdered there or have been murdered in Chhattisgarh and their bodies were brought near Tadguda road.
It is notable here that Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra has been the hotbed of Naxal activities in the region. In April this year, the security forces had killed 39 Maoist terrorists in separate encounters over a period of two days in the district. In the recent months, the central and state security forces have launched intensive anti-Maoist operations in areas of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
