Dantewada: Naxals killed the younger brother of a former associate who is now working with police in this district, police said Tuesday.
Laxman Mandavi (26), a resident of Duvalikarka village, was stabbed to death with sharp weapons by ultras at his native place late Monday night, Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallava informed.
Mandavi’s brother quit the outlawed CPI (Maoist) last year and joined the police force, which apparently angered the rebels, Pallava stated.
As per preliminary information, over a dozen Naxals reached the village and then sent some lower rung cadres to bring Mandavi out of his house before killing him in a nearby forest.
Some villagers spotted the body Tuesday morning and alerted the police who rushed to the forest. The body was sent for post-mortem and later handed over to relatives. A manhunt has been launched to nab the assailants, informed another official.
The deceased’s elder brother Baman Mandavi, who was associated with Maoists since 2008, surrendered before police in October last year. He was active as deputy commander of a military platoon of Maoists at that time and was carrying a reward of Rs 3,00,000 on his head, the official said, adding that he later joined the police force in Dantewada.
“Naxals are losing their foothold and the trust of tribal people. Therefore, they are committing such crimes out of desperation and targeting relatives of their associates who have surrendered,” Pallava said.
Some Maoist pamphlets were also recovered from the spot in which ultras warned to avenge the killing of their senior cadres – Varghese and Linga – in recent encounters by security forces.
PTI