Villager supporting development work killed by Naxals

Raipur: A 35-year-old villager, who was supporting the development work in his area, was killed by suspected Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a senior police official said today.

The deceased, Darro Handa, who was the 'gram patel' (considered equivalent to the village head), had been supporting the local administration in carrying out various developmental works in the area and also encouraging other villagers to do so, the official told PTI.

Handa's body was found lying in a pool of blood on the outskirts of his village Dhurguda this morning, he said.

As per preliminary information, a group of armed Naxals stormed Handa's house last night and took him away, he said.

Some locals spotted his blood-stained body this morning outside the village, located around 450 km from the state capital, following which they informed the police, he said.

The police reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem.

Prima facie, it appears that Handa was axed to death, the official said.

A case has been registered in this connection, he said, adding that a search has been launched in the nearby forests to nab the culprits.

On March 19, two villagers were beaten to death by Naxals in Aadnar village of the state's Kondagaon district.

On the same day, the rebels had killed a contractor and torched four machines engaged in road construction work in Bijapur district.

Naxals have frequently tried to disrupt road construction works in the state by launching attacks on security forces and damaging the roads, and vehicles and machines used in the work, a senior police official had earlier said.

The ultras feel that the developmental works in the region and construction of roads will uproot them from the area, he had said.