7 killed in Bihar’s Maoist heartland

After yet another bout of abduction, extortion and murder in Bihar’s Maoist heartland, the police on Saturday recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of four persons kidnapped in Jamui district.

Three persons belonging to the minority Ansari community were shot dead by the rebels from a village in the Jhajha block in the early hours of Friday. Four others were kidnapped and the ultras later shot them dead and disposed of their bodies in a neighbouring village pond, police sources said.

Superintendent of Police R.N. Singh told The Hindu that the Maoists later stuck leaflets on village walls, accusing the seven of indulging in extortion and rape in the name of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

However, police authorities do not view this as a plausible theory as only three of the seven killed had criminal antecedents, dating back to several years.

Pointing out that the motive still remained murky, Mr. Singh said that of the four people abducted, one was a retired fourth-grade employee, while two others were daily wage-earners.

Earlier this year, two internecine feuds occurred between Naxals and tribal communities — six members from the Koda community were killed in Munger district in July, while three from the Kharwar tribe were gunned down in Rohtas district in early August.

The main reason cited here was a power struggle between the Yadav-dominated Naxal hierarchy and the tribal communities, some of whose members earlier sided with the ultras and were now attempting to break away.

Despite some successful government initiatives, there has been no let-up in anti-social activities across the Munger-Jamui belt, with the outlaws orchestrating at least two major incidents in the past month, in which landless labourers contracted by private construction firms were abducted for levy extortion.

Courtesy: The Hindu