New Delhi: Police in Maharashtra’s Maoist-dominated Gadchiroli have alleged that banned insurgents are masquerading as “innocent farmers” and are presenting fake Aadhaar cards to claim their innocence.
The police claim relates to an incident on November 30 when the C60 commandoes killed two persons – Prakash Mohonda alias Sukhram and Raju Pusali – in the Abhujamadh area, considered to be a Maoist stronghold.
On December 30, villagers from Nelgonda and other nearby villages surrounded the security outpost in Dhondraj in south Gadchiroli stating that those killed were farmers and not Maoists. The villagers also submitted a memorandum to the local tehsildar stating so. To support their claim, they submitted the Aadhaar cards of Sukhram and Pusali.
In response, the Gadchiroli police have stated that Maoists have resorted to a new strategy to mislead the agencies and human rights organisations. A Times of India report quoting superintendent of police Sailesh Balkawade said, “The Maoists and their supporters were trying to use these two different names, one on Aadhaar card and another given by the banned party, to create an impression that some innocent villager or a farmer was neutralised in staged encounters and not the cadres named by the security forces. They are also trying to evade arrest during travel and get other benefits, including banking with their Aadhaar cards.”
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Balkawade said, “The surrendered Maoists identified Sukhram (as a platoon party committee member). Later, we also managed to trace his original village in Chhattisgarh. He is not a native of Gadchiroli but shifted here just five years ago.” He also said Pusali too shifted to Nelgonda around the same time from Chhattisgarh and settled there after marrying a local tribal. “Sukhram and Pusali’s families accepted their bodies and blamed the Maoists camp site where recruits and others were being provided arms and training.”
“Another dozen villagers had gone too (to the camp). While eight have returned, four (are) yet to come. We have their names,” he added. The SP claimed that two senior cades forced the villagers to surround the security outpost.