Suspected Maoist militants have killed three villagers and abducted about a dozen others in Peddakorma village, Bijapur district, approximately 450 km south of Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The victims were relatives of a surrendered Maoist commander, and the killings appear to be retaliatory in nature amid ongoing security offensives in Bastar.
Local sources said that Maoist cadres, led by a leader named Vella, stormed the village and strangled the three victims — identified as Jhingu Modium, Soma Modium, and Anil Madwi — using ropes in front of other villagers. The targeted families are related to Dinesh Modium, a former Divisional Committee Member of the banned CPI (Maoist) who surrendered to police in Bijapur a few months ago.
Bastar police condemned the incident, calling it a “cowardly act” aimed at spreading fear in the region. “The police are verifying details and will probe further. Targeting innocent civilians is unacceptable,” a police official said.
Human rights activist Bela Bhatia commented, “This seems to be a reaction by lower Maoist cadres frustrated with ongoing security operations and the state’s refusal to engage in proposed peace talks. The abductees should be released immediately.”
A police team is scheduled to reach Peddakorma for investigation and to conduct post-mortems.
Security forces have recently intensified operations across Bastar, dealing a heavy blow to the Maoist insurgency. Over 400 Maoists have been killed in encounters during the past 17 months, forcing the militants to abandon their strongholds, according to Bastar Range Inspector General Sundarraj P.
“The Maoist movement, once notorious for its brutality, is now on the decline as peace and development take root in Bastar,” he said.
