News / India

Maoist rebels kill villager, release 250 hostages

Sunday, 10 May 2015 8:49 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 May 2015 8:49 AM ]

The file photo shows people of Ama Buran Pattan, north of Srinagar, carrying the coffin of a member of the Indian police killed in a gunfight with Maoist rebels. © AFP

Indian police say Maoist rebels have killed one villager and released at least 250 others they had taken hostage in the country’s central state of Chhattisgarh.

The villagers, except the one who was killed, were released late Saturday, and returned to their village in Sukma, a district in Chhattisgarh.

"All villagers have been released except one who was killed at the hands of the Maoists," said district inspector general S.R.P. Kalluri.

The villagers were abducted on May 8 and held captive in nearby forests in a move by the rebels aimed at stopping the Chhattisgarh government from constructing a bridge in the village of Marenga. Reports say the victim was shot dead after rebels found him "guilty" of encouraging other villagers to take part in the construction of the bridge.

The incident took place before a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dantewada, another district in Chhattisgarh.

The rebels, who are supported by some tribal groups and landless farmers, have fought against the Chhattisgarh state governing authority and central government for years. Thousands of people have died in the Maoist-related clashes over the past three decades.

The file photo shows Maoist rebels during a parade in India.

The rebels say their movement was inspired by the Chinese founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong. Although the rebels operate in 20 of the 28 states of India, they are most active in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, occupying vast swathes of land.

India’s Home Ministry has described the Maoists as the country’s greatest internal threat.

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