BIJAPUR (Chhattisgarh): In a chilling display of retribution, Maoists brutally killed three villagers in Nayapara, Pedakorma, on Tuesday evening. The victims included two relatives of a surrendered senior Naxal commander and one relative of a soldier, police said.
The attack occurred around 4 p.m., just 15 km from the Bijapur police headquarters and only 4 km from a security camp. A group of Maoists stormed the village, assaulting multiple residents and executing three individuals they believed to be linked to state forces.
Two of the deceased were related to Dinesh Mudiyam (36), a former member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), who surrendered along with his wife in March. The third victim was a relative of a serving security personnel. Police said the leader of the assaulting group was once a subordinate of Mudiyam.
Mudiyam, a native of Nayapara, is accused in 26 murder cases and is believed to have been involved in deadly ambushes that killed seven security personnel and injured three. Authorities say withdrawal of charges against him may depend on his cooperation.
The latest killings add to a grim toll — Maoists have killed at least 18 civilians this year over allegations of being police informers. In 2023, they killed 71, with over 20 deaths caused by IEDs.
So far in 2025, 211 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh, mostly in the Bastar region. Meanwhile, 18 security personnel, including an Additional SP, have lost their lives to Maoist violence.