Jabalpur, June 2, 2006

NEARLY A dozen Naxalities yesterday night shot dead one suspected police informer and bashed up two others after unleashing a reign of terror at Satona village of Lanji tehsil in Balaghat, reports reaching the divisional headquarters here said.

On Friday, the police and Naxalites exchanged fire in the thick forest of Bilalkasha in Balaghat district. No one was injured.

The killing of a villager in Balaghat district by the Naxalites comes after a gap of 11 months. The Naxalites had killed a constable Rajendra Upadhaya in a landmine under Roopjar police station in Balaghat on June 30, 2005.

The Naxals, possibly belonging to Malajkhand Dalam, on Thursday entered Satona village and stormed into the house of Mangal Singh Gond (55).

They dragged Mangal Gond and his son Durga Singh (30) out of their home and tied them up in front of the villagers, bashed them up for an hour before pumping a bullet in Durga’s chest. They also attacked Kansoli gram sarpanch Laxmi Parthe with lathis when he intervened.

Before fleeing, the Naxals were heard saying that the police moles would meet the same fate. They also left behind some literature warning the people to keep off the police.

A month ago, Mangal and Durga had reportedly passed some information to the police about the links of Naxals at village Lakhanjari.

Upon receiving the information on Friday morning, the police reached the spot and recovered the body. Lanji police station in-charge Inspector Z A Ahmed said that post-mortem of the body had been carried out. The injured, Mangal was out of danger, he said.

He denied that Mangal and Durga were police informers. On Friday, in exchange of fire in forest of Bilalkasha under limits of Roopjar police station, Baihar, in Balaghat, no one was injured. The Naxals while fleeing, left behind some 35 items including transistors, live cartridges and VCDs.

The police and anti-Naxal Hawk Force jawans patrolling on foot were fired upon by a group of about half a dozen red terrorists including two women. The police retaliated and fired some 40 rounds.

Inspector General of Police (Naxalite-infested area) C B Muniraju said that the Naxal who opened fire and fled might be the ones who had killed Durga Singh late last night. He said that the police have intensified night patrolling.

Balaghat SP Santosh Kumar Singh said that the police have started examining the stuff recovered from the spot.