In a first, senior Maoist commander shot dead in fratricidal killing in Bastar

Bhopal: A senior Maoist leader was shot dead in a fratricidal killing in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Bijapur, intelligence wing of Chhattisgarh police reported on Friday.

This was the first of its kind development in the three-decade-long history of Leftwing extremism in Bastar division, comprising districts of Kanker, Kondagaon, Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bastar, a senior police officer posted in Bastar told this newspaper.

"DVC member of the Gangaloor area committee of CPI (Maoist) Vijja Modiyam alias Badru was killed by some Naxal cadres in Chitawar jungle in Bijapur district on Thursday. The killing followed a rift between the slain Maoist and Gangaloor area committee secretary Dinesh Modiyam over the recent murders of civilians in Bijapur district by Naxals," the intelligence reports accessed by this newspaper read.

According to the reports, Maoists later handed over the slain rebel’s body to his family. His last rights were performed in his village of Mankeli in the district.

"This is a very important development in the background of recent killings of civilians in the south Bastar region. We are compiling more details on the incident," Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj told this newspaper on Friday.

Ten civilians were killed by Maoists in Bijapur district in the last one month after accusing them of spying for police.

Vijja (39), a resident of Mankeli in Bijapur district, was a DVC member and in-charge of Gangaloor area committee of CPI (Maoist). Gangaloor area committee is one of the most active formations of Maoists in south Bastar. He carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head. As many as 18 cases of murder, attack on security personnel and extortions were pending against him in different police stations in Bastar region.