RAIPUR: Maoists have murdered a police officer they had abducted from his village in Bastar’s Bijapur district four days ago. SI Murli Tati, who was on medical leave, is the third off-duty cop to be killed by Maoists in less than 10 days in Bastar.
Since the Maoists had held him hostage for a few days, there was hope that he would be released. But his body was found on the outskirts of a village, not far from his own, early on Saturday. A note left on his body said the decision to murder him had been taken at a ‘jan adalat’ because he had ‘dared to join the forces’ and had killed many PLGA cadres.
Unlike the kidnapping of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, there was no public appeal from activists for Tati’s release. The officer’s wife had appealed to the Maoists to spare him, saying: “My husband’s mental state isn’t good. He left home without saying anything. I am hoping that people will help me and request Maoists to release my husband.”
SI Tati was with District Reserve Guards (DRG) — a unit of local tribals that spearheads anti-Maoist operations. He had gone to his village Palnar in Gangaloor, but was kidnapped on April 21. Police said Tati had joined the force during the final days of the Salwa Judum movement in 2011.
After killing 22 jawans in an ambush on April 3, Maoists have murdered over seven people, including a 15-year-old boy and three cops, in less than two weeks.
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