Home | Hindi | Kabir | Poetry | Workshop | BoloKids | Bolography | Writers | Contribute | Search | Contact | Share This Page!                      Shop Online 

June 24, 2007 
Police Clueless as Maoists Abduct 10 Tribals

Raipur
Dozens of police teams assisted by paramilitary troopers Sunday combed forest hideouts of Maoist militants in Chhattisgarh but failed to get any clue of 10 members of the civil militia movement abducted by suspected rebels.

The 10 Salwa Judum members were kidnapped Saturday afternoon in Andhra Pradesh's Chintoor region, around 10 km from the state's border, while they were returning to Chhattisgarh after attending a wedding.

The abducted tribals, including four women, belong to a relief camp called Mangaigura in insurgency-hit Dantewada district.

"Police fanned out in forest hideouts of Maoists near the Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border to trace the abducted Salwa Judum members but the search operation has drawn blank till sunset on Sunday," R.K. Vij, inspector general of police (Bastar range), told IANS by phone.

He added that the Chhattisgarh police were in touch with Andhra Pradesh police authorities to secure the safe release of the tribals.

"Most of the search parties that had gone inside forests had returned to base camps without any results," a police officer said from Dantewada, adding: "More cops will join in the search in the wee hours of Monday."

About 50,000 people, mostly tribals, have settled in 22 state-run relief camps in Chhattisgarh's southern areas due to life threats from Maoists.

The anti-Maoist Salwa Judum ('campaign for peace') movement was started by tribals in June 2005 and was later supported by the state government.

According to police estimates, around 5,000 hardcore Maoists armed with AK-47 rifles and landmines, backed by nearly 20,000 cadres, are active in Chhattisgarh, mainly in the southern districts of Bastar, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Kanker and Dantewada districts.  

IANS | June 24, 2007  

Top