Naxals Kill Villager In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur District; Fifth Murder By Ultras In A Week

Raipur, Jan 12 (PTI) Naxals thrashed a 50-year-old villager to death in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Wednesday.

This is the fifth killing by rebels in the district in one week.

The latest incident took place on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday in Ketulnar village under Kutru police station limits, Inspector General, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said.

The victim, Jagat Sodi (50), who ran a small grocery shop, was beaten to death by a group of unidentified Naxals, he said without divulging any motive behind the killing.

After carrying out an investigation at the scene of the crime, the body was sent to a primary health centre for an autopsy, the official said.

In the last one week, Naxals have killed five people, including two of their cadres, in Bijapur, which comes under Bastar division.

Earlier, at least 47 civilians were killed by Naxals in the Bastar division in 2020 and 34 in 2021. Besides, as many as 51 ultras were gunned down in the division last year and 40 in 2020.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)