Chhattisgarh: Former Janpad Panchayat member Joga Podiyam hacked to death in Naxal-hit Dantewada

DANTEWADA: An ex-member of Janpad Panchayat was reportedly killed using sharp weapons by unknown attackers in a village located in the Naxalite-affected Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Saturday.

The victim, Joga Podiyam, was attacked with sharp weapons at his residence in Potali village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Aranpur police station, late Friday night.

The assailants, numbering between 8 and 10, were dressed in civilian clothes and forcibly dragged Podiyam out of his house before launching the fatal assault in the presence of his family members.

Upon receiving information about the incident, a team of security personnel from a nearby Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) camp, situated approximately 500 meters from the village, rushed to the scene. However, the attackers had already fled into the forest by the time the security forces arrived. While no Maoist pamphlets were discovered at the crime scene, the police are investigating all possible angles, including the involvement of Naxalites and personal enmity.

According to local residents, Podiyam had received threats from Naxalites in 2018, warning him against supporting development projects in the area. Tragically, this is not the first time Podiyam's family has been targeted by Naxalites. A decade ago, his son was brutally killed by the extremists, who set him on fire. As the investigation continues, security forces have launched a search operation in the surrounding areas to apprehend the assailants responsible for this heinous crime.