‘Maoists’ gun down two in Gaya village, three arrested

GAYA: Suspected Maoists gunned down two people at Harni Khajura village under the Magra police station area in Gaya district late on Friday night. One villager was injured in the attack. The victims were identified as Mahindra Yadav and Ram Dayal Rajak.
The Maoists left a handwritten note in the village, alleging that Mahindra was a police informer and land broker. Gaya SSP Rajiv Mishra said the Maoists were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifle.
According to the SSP, preliminary investigations revealed that as the Maoist base weakened in the region on account of increased police mobility and execution of development projects, several land owners, whose land was earlier grabbed by the Maoists, were reclaiming the land for cultivation and sale purposes.
“Mahindra was helping the villagers in their effort to reclaim lost land. This infuriated the Maoists,” he added.
The SSP said the Maoists targeted only Mahindra and the other person got killed accidentally. “Ten people were named in the FIR registered in connection with the incident and three of them have been arrested. Efforts are on to arrest the remaining accused,” the SSP added.
Meanwhile, irate villagers blocked road traffic in the area to register protest against the killing of the villagers. The roadblock was lifted after Sherghati SDO Upendra Pandit assured the villagers of providing financial assistance to the dependants of the murdered villagers.