Chhattisgarh: Naxals torch buses, trucks in Sukma; ex-cop killed

Naxals torched three buses and as many trucks after directing their occupants to alight the vehicles in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district late last night, a police official said today.

A former police constable, who was among the bus passengers, was shot dead by the ultras, he said.The private buses were heading towards Telangana via Sukma from different locations. The Naxals set them blaze near Peddakudthi and Penta villages between 10 pm and 11 pm, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.Four vehicles were torched at one spot and two others set ablaze barely 300 metres from there. The armed ultras stopped the buses and asked the passengers to get down, following which they set the vehicles ablaze, he said.

One of the buses was going to Hyderabad from Jagdalpur, the headquarter of Bastar district, another from Dantewada towards Hyderabad and the third was on its maiden run from Malkangiri in Odisha to Hyderabad, he said. Former constable Munna Sodi, who was expelled from service, was shot dead by the rebels during the incident, the DIG said, adding, “He was most likely travelling in one of those buses from Sukma to his village Manikonta, which is ahead of Penta.” …read more