A 16-year-old schoolboy, Soyyam Shankar, was tragically beaten to death in Puvarti village, Sukma district, Chhattisgarh. Police suspect Maoists are responsible for the killing, allegedly due to suspicions that the boy was a police informer.
Shankar, a student at a government school in the neighboring Dantewada district, had recently returned to his native village following the death of a family member. Initial investigations reveal that Maoists may have targeted him due to his unfamiliarity in the village.
Sukma Superintendent of Police, Kiran Chavan, confirmed that Shankar's body was discovered and sent for a post-mortem examination. Disturbingly, police have also received unconfirmed reports that Shankar's elder brother, Soyam Sitaram, was also killed by Maoists in the same village a few days prior. Fearing further violence, the family has fled the village.
Puvarti village is known to be a Maoist stronghold, home to prominent figures such as Hidma and Barse Deva. The Maoist battalion operating in the area has been linked to numerous attacks on security personnel. The establishment of a police camp in Puvarti earlier this year may have further heightened tensions in the region.
This incident underscores the ongoing challenges posed by Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh, particularly in the Bastar region. The targeting of civilians, especially young individuals like Shankar, highlights the brutal nature of the conflict and the urgent need for effective measures to address the issue.
