Bijapur, 25 October (H.S.): Naxalites killed two villagers with sharp-edged weapons in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Friday night, escalating a climate of fear in the region. The victims have been identified as Ravi Kattam, 25, and Tirupati Sodhi, 38. One of the deceased, Tirupati Sodhi, is the brother of a jawan serving in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), leading police to suspect the killings were an act of retaliation.

The incident occurred in Nelakanker village, within the jurisdiction of the Usur police station. According to Bijapur's Assistant Superintendent of Police, Chandrakant Gavarna, the Naxalites stormed the victims' homes late Friday night and brutally murdered them before fleeing the scene.

Upon receiving the information, a team from the Usur police station arrived at the location. Security forces have since launched a search operation in the surrounding areas. The bodies of the victims have been sent for post-mortem examination, and a thorough investigation is underway to apprehend the perpetrators.

Locals reported that Kattam and Sodhi frequently traveled to the Avapalli and Bijapur headquarters, which may have led the Naxalites to suspect them of being police informers. This double murder has intensified panic throughout the area.This latest act of violence is part of a disturbing trend. In the last month alone, Naxalites have been responsible for the deaths of seven villagers. Within October, five villagers have been killed in the Bastar division, including two in Sukma and three in Bijapur.

Official records indicate that since the formation of the state 25 years ago, Naxalites have murdered more than 1,820 people across various districts of the Bastar division.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar