The jam-packed weekly bazaar of Piri village became a witness to the killing of a youth on Sunday evening when armed Maoists shot a youth from point blank range after branding him a police informer. The incident took place around 5PM in the evening, a time frame when the weekly haath witnesses the maximum footfall. The slain youth has been identified as Parmeshwar Sahu.
According to eyewitnesses around five to six men in black uniform entered the market along NH-100 in Piri and shot Parmeshwar from point blank range and escaped in the neigbouring forest area. According them, a few maoist squads were seen in the market area giving cover to their members who killed the youth. Before escaping, the rebels chanted a couple of Maoist slogan – “Mukhbir hosh mei aao, police murdabad and Maowadi zindabad”.
The sudden firing in the market area created chaos, with those present running helter skelter. As the news of the killing spread, jawans from Sheela picket reached the spot. The victim’s family also rushed to the market but only to find him lying dead in a pool of blood.
Parmeshwar was shot on his head from point blank range. His murder has drilled a sense of fear among the villagers of his hamlet.
A villager on condition of anonymity said, “Parmeshwar owned a tractor and also ran a brick klin.” According to the villagers Maoist commander Deeak Yadav alias Karu Yadav is behind the murder.
However, the police officers maintained the youth wasn’t a police informer and that they had initiated an inquiry to nab the culprits at the earliest.
Within a short span of time, this is the fourth killing in Chatra by Maoists amid police claiming of regular police operations against the outfit. On Oct.19, one Nageshwari Devi was gunned down in Lalkimati village which falls under Pathalgadda police station. This was followed by a second killing, in which a youth Nageshwar Yadav was killed on the border of Hazaribagh and Chatra on Oct.20. Third killing was that of a coal trader Mukesh Giri in Tapsa village of Simaria when he was arghya with his family during Chhath festival on Nov.21.
Four criminals arrested in Chatra on Sunday. Vishvendu Jaipuriar
Chatra police tastes success
Despite the Naxalites troubling Chatra police on a regular basis, the law enforcement officers were successful in busting a gang which had been terrorising people on name of extremist groups.
According to the police this very gang was behind the gutting of five vehicles in Tetariakhad colliery, which falls under Balumath police station of Latehar district on December18. They had also injured four individuals.
Superintendent of police Rishav Kumar Jha confirmed this arrest and said that they had recovered three country made pistol from them apart from live bullets, 7-mobile phones, one bike and cash worth Rs.11,150.
The four individuals arrested are residents of Bali village, which falls under Tandwa block of the district. Jha said, “All were demanding levy in areas of Tandwa and neighbouring Latehar and had been nabbed from their village only.”
