Naxals kill village sarpanch's husband in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari

DHAMTARI: The husband of a village sarpanch was allegedly killed by Naxals on suspicion of being a police informer in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, an official said on Tuesday.

Niresh Kumar Kunjam (35) was found dead in the forest near Karhi village under the naxal-affected Mechka police station area, the official said.

The deceased was the husband of Radhika Kunjam, the sarpanch of Karhi village panchayat, he said.

As per preliminary information, Niresh, a native of Ujravan village, had gone to his paddy fields in Karhi village on Monday night and did not return home, the official said.

Villagers spotted his body in the morning hours and soon after being alerted about it, Dhamtari superintendent of police B P Rajbhanu rushed to the spot with a team of police personnel, he said.

"Prima facie, it seems that Kunjam was strangled, but the exact cause of death will be known once the post-mortem report arrives," he said.

A hand-written pamphlet was found stuck on a tree, in which the Sitanadi Area Committee of Maoists claimed responsibility for the killing and accused Kunjam of acting as a police informer, the official said, ruling out the deceased's association with police.

Although it seems to be the handiwork of Maoists, further probe is underway, he added.