The Hindu : Front Page : Maoists behead Jharkhand police officer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 07, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Maoists behead Jharkhand police officer

He was abducted a week ago

— FILE PHOTO: PTI

Francis Induwar.

Ranchi: Maoists beheaded Jharkhand police inspector Francis Induwar, who was abducted by them a week ago. Naxalites abducted him, demanding the release of three of their arrested leaders, including Kobad Ghandy, in exchange for him.

The Union government condemned the killing and termed it unacceptable.

Induwar’s body, along with the severed head, was found in the early hours of Tuesday near Raisha Ghati under the Namkom police station area, about 12 km from here, Superintendent of Police (Ranchi Rural), Hemant Toppo, said.

Induwar, 37, who is survived by his wife and three sons, was kidnapped on September 30 from Hembrom Bazaar in Khunti district, about 70 km from here. He was working in the intelligence wing of the State police. Maoists later demanded the release of three rebels — Ghandy, Chhatradhar Mahato and Bhushan Yadav — in exchange for the officer.

The demand was said to have been conveyed to the authorities by the outfit’s South Chhotanagpur committee secretary Samarji over the phone to a local newspaper.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, however, said there was no demand from Maoists for any swap of the arrested naxalites. He termed the beheading as not acceptable. “The cold-blooded murder is simply not acceptable. I condemn it.”

The police said a poster pasted on a tree on the Ranchi- Jamshedpur highway under the Bundu police station stated that the body was that of the police officer.

Induwar has become the 339th policeman to be killed in naxal violence in Jharkhand between January 2003 and October this year. The State’s 20 of the 24 districts are Maoist-infested.

The Jharkhand Police Association renewed its pledge to continue their fight against the extremists. Maoist leader Ghandy was arrested by the Delhi Police on September 21, while Chhatradhar Mahato, a Maoist-backed tribal leader, was nabbed by West Bengal CID sleuths from Lalgarh on September 26. Bhushan Yadav was arrested by the West Bengal police on October 2 and handed over to the Jharkhand police. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page