Dantewada, Feb 8 : A former sarpanch and candidate in the upcoming panchayat elections, Joga Barse, was killed by suspected Naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
Barse, 52, was attacked at his residence in Aranpur village by a group of unidentified individuals who killed him with an axe in the presence of his family, a police official confirmed. Law enforcement personnel from the Aranpur station arrived at the scene after receiving information and transported the body for a post-mortem examination.
While no Maoist literature was discovered at the crime scene, initial investigations suggest the involvement of Naxalites in the murder, according to officials.
Barse, a resident of Sarpanch Para locality, had previously served as the village head of Aranpur panchayat, a position currently held by his wife. He was contesting the upcoming panchayat elections scheduled for February 17, 20, and 23. Though panchayat polls are non-partisan, Barse had reportedly received support from Congress, having joined the party in 2019 after being previously affiliated with the Communist Party of India (CPI).
The killing comes amid a surge in Naxalite violence in the region. On February 4, Naxalites killed a 30-year-old man in the Aranpur area, following the murder of two individuals, including a former associate, in Bijapur district the night before. In January, Naxalites were responsible for multiple killings, including a 41-year-old man in Bijapur’s Bhairamgarh area and a 48-year-old man in Mirtur, both accused of being police informants.
According to police records, 68 civilians lost their lives in Naxal-related incidents in 2022 across seven districts in the Bastar region, including Bijapur and Dantewada.
Barse’s murder underscores the persistent threat of Naxalite violence in the region as candidates and communities prepare for the upcoming elections.
