There has been ghastly blood-letting by rebels across Jharkhand over the past 48 hours, leaving the people shaken to the core.
A day after the brutal beheading of two villagers in Gumla by a splinter group —Pahari Cheeta — the Maoists on Wednesday killed six cadre of the People’s liberation Front of India (PlFI) in Khunti district, some 60 km from the State Capital. The police are yet to identify the bodies. “Six bodies have been recovered from the Burudih-Namsilli jungles on Wednesday. Bullet injuries were found on all the bodies,” said Jharkhand DGP Rajiv Kumar. According to him, one of those killed has been identified as Bullet, who had been a terror in the area.
“A printed handbill found on the spot indicates that the killers belonged to Maoist groups,” added Khunti SP M Tamilvennan. Sources say the PlFI rebels were putting up under a tent in the jungles of Burudih and Namsilli near Gopekuttu village and were shot by Maoists around Tuesday midnight during a gunbattle which went on for one hour or so. Slippers, clothes, utensils and edibles have also been recovered from the spot, suggesting a temporary habitation.
local sources said a meeting was held by the Maoists headed by Prasadji, said to be the ‘regional commander’ of the area, in the village. It was decided to observe Martyrs’ Days during July 28-30 and a pledge was taken to expunge splinter groups from the area. Meanwhile, the DGP termed the Gumla and Khunti bloodshed as an outcome of the escalating war of supremacy between the Maoists and splinter groups. “Both groups are killing each other as and when they are get a chance. We are acting against both and operations are regularly being conducted in these areas,” Kumar added.
Back in Ranchi, political circles have raised eyebrows on the law & order situation in the State, after the brutal beheading of two villagers of Gumla along with the one being shot by the Maoists on Tuesday. Congress MlA Geetashree Oraon on Wednesday expressed concern and pointed out how often the police reached the spot after the incident takes place. “I will raise the issue before the DGP and the Chief Minister if law & order does not improve soon,” she emphasised.
Senior police officials, on the other hand, claim they do not get the people’s support when it comes to sharing of information regarding Maoists, severely handicapping them. “People who come out on the roads and protest against the police if an incident like Gumla takes place, should also have the courage to protest while such an incident takes place. If not, at least an anonymous phone call could warn us,” an SP rank officer pointed out, requesting anonymity.