Raipur:

Of the eight security personnel who lost their lives in a Maoist blast in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district a day ago, five had joined the police force after quitting Maoists, a senior official said.

Head Constable Budhram Korsa, constables Dumma Markam, Pandaru Ram, Baman Sodhi, all belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), and constable Somdu Vetti of Bastar Fighters were earlier active as Maoists and joined the police force after they surrendered, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

Korsa and Sodhi were natives of Bijapur district, while three others hailed from adjoining Dantewada district, he said.

Last year, 792 Maoists had surrendered in Bastar region, comprising seven districts, he said.

Eight security personnel, four each from DRG and Bastar Fighters'”both units of state police, and a civilian driver were killed after Maoists blew up a vehicle which was part of a convoy carrying security personnel near Ambeli village under the Kutru police station area of the district on Monday. It was the biggest strike on security forces by Maoists in Chhattisgarh in the last two years.

Dubbed as “sons of soil”, the DRG personnel are recruited from among local youth and surrendered Maoists in Bastar division. It is considered as a frontline anti-Maoist force in the state.

The DRG was raised over different periods of time in seven districts of Bastar spread in an area of around 40,000 sq kms, to fight the menace of Left Wing Extremism ongoing from over the past four decades.

It was first set up in Kanker (north Bastar) and Narayanpur (comprising Abhujmad) districts in 2008 and after a gap of five years, the force was raised in Bijapur and Bastar districts in 2013. Subsequently, it was expanded in Sukma and Kondagaon districts in 2014, while in Dantewada, the force was raised in 2015.

State police’s ‘Bastar Fighters’ unit was raised in 2022, wherein local Bastar youth who are familiar with the local culture, language, terrain and have a bond with the tribals, were recruited.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rajnandgaon:

A Bharatiya Janata Party worker was killed allegedly by unknown gunmen in the Maoist-affected district of Mohla Manpur in Chhattisgarh, a top police official said on Saturday. Police have suspected the role of Maoists behind the murder in the poll-bound state.

Rajnandgaon Inspector General (IG) Rahul Bhagat said the police force, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and others immediately reached the spot after receiving the information.

“In the Mohla Manpur Ambagarh Chowki district, under the Aundhi police station, Birjhu Taram was killed by unknown gunmen… Since last night, proceedings have been ongoing on the incident,” IG Bhagat told ANI on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday evening.

“We have started the investigation,” IG said, adding that the blockade has been imposed on all the routes for travel.

“The area is Maoist-affected, and we have gotten a few rounds of cartridges from the spot. It is a possibility that Naxalites may have executed this,” he said.

Earlier during the day, two Maoists were killed following an exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Saturday morning, a top police official said.

The official further said that the District Reserve Guards recovered two bodies of Maoists, along with arms and ammunition, in the Gome Jungle of Koylibeda police station limits today at 8:00 am.

“Kanker DRG recovered two male naxal dead bodies along with an INSAS rifle, one 12-bore rifle, and other arms and ammunition after an escalation of force (EoF),” said P Sunderraj Inspector-General, Bastar.

Polling for 20 seats in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held on November 7 while votes for the remaining 70 seats will be cast in the second phase on November 17.

The counting of votes in Chhattisgarh, along with those in four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)