Encounter between police and naxalites in Pathari forest of MP's Balaghat

One naxalite injured

Following a ‘Kangaroo Court’ tip off, when police launched a hunt for naxals, heavy exchange of fire took place this morning between police and Naxalites near forests of Chhukkatola village in Balaghat district leaving one ultra injured.

The police are at surveillance and combing the area. The encounter occurred when a police party led by Balaghat Range IG DC Sagar and SP Gaurav Tiwari, was conducting a search operation in the area.

The team also included members of Hawk Force, the anti-naxal squad of Madhya Pradesh when they came under fire from naxals.

"Police retaliated in self-defence leading to exchange of fire that lasted for an hour," the IG said.

A “Kangaroo court” was reported ' in Navhi village of Balaghat district when the village sarpanch was intimidated by naxalites on 4th of this month and asked him to ensure payment of wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

“We received an information from the sarpanch that some people, according to him were naxalites, interrupted him on 4 April and demanded to arrange wages payment under MNREGA which are due for last several months. They gave him an ultimatum or asked him to resign,” Dinesh Sagar, Inspector General Balaghat told BS telephonically, “While this morning when we were on search operation, naxalites started firing on police party near Pathri ghati (valley) under Malanjkhand police station area of Birsa tehsil, around 60 kms away from Balaghat district headquarters. One ultra received bullet but we could not recover the body as his accomplice might have taken him away, combing and search operation in the area is going on,” he said.

Sarpanch has been identified has Kunwar Singh Dhruve. After a gap of three years when Naxal activity has come to light in Balaghat district of the state. The area is close to Rajnandgaon and district of Chhattisgarh and Gondia of Maharasthra.

He said the area was cordoned off by police and a search is on to nab the naxals.

After a gap for three years, Naxalites have shown their presence in Madhya Pradesh.

“As many as thirty naxals including few women held an unofficial court in Pandripani Jungle, the villagers have complained to the Naxals that they had not received wages against work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for several months,” another source told BS who does not wish to be identified. “In fact the sarpanch of the village is a woman Munni Bai while Naxalites detained her husband and slapped an ultimatum that either he should arrange payments from government within 15 days or his wife (sarpanch) should resign,” the source said.

However district magistrate Bharat Yadav ruled out Naxals held a Kangaroo Court but said, “We took the information of the sarpanch seriously and put the police on alert. Why Naxals will raise one specific issue of MNREGA wage payments as payments are not made across few districts of the state for last two-three months. There is a shortage of fund. We are making efforts to clear the dues as soon as possible," Yadav said.

Balaghat district has dues of Rs 29 crore, according to him, for the last three months under MNREGA.

State Employment Guarantee Council, an entity that functions under MNREGA also confirmed that an amount of Rs 2000 crore had been demanded from the Central government. “State Rural Development minister Gopal Bharagava had written a letter in this regard to central government and had demanded Rs 2,000 crore to which the response has confirmed arrival of routine fund in a week or so,” the council spokesperson told Business Standard.