BHOPAL: Maoists executed a 20-year-old school student on Saturday, on suspicion of being a police informer in Balaghat district. This is the first execution by rebels in Madhya Pradesh after the brutal killing of the state’s former transport minister Likhiram Kavre in 1999. Police claim Maoists are back in action in the region.
“Two villagers were picked up by suspected Maoists from Malajkhand Dalam from Jalda Navhi village of Pathri police outpost in the district on Friday night. They took them deep into the jungles and executed one of them,” said a police officer. The deceased has been identified as Rati alias Sunder.
He was shot from close range, while the other identified as Rajkumar, resident of Dabrutola managed to escape.
Police said they were abducted, blindfolded and taken deep inside the forest. Both were accused of being police informers and thrashed. On Saturday night they were lined up and shot. While Rati, a student of class 12, collapsed on the spot with a bullet in his skull, Rajkumar faked his death, said police. He told police that there were 30 to 40 outlaws who questioned them about their links with police.
Balaghat inspector general of police D C Sagar declared a cash award of Rs 30,000 on information of those involved.
