Bijapur encounter: Those killed were not Naxals, say villagers

Bijapur: Security forces claimed that they killed 10 red rebels by intruding in their territory here on February 7. Terming it as a big achievement, the state government also congratulated the security personnel involved in the said encounter. However, the villagers alleged that those killed in the encounter were not Naxals but their kin.

At around 10:30 am on February 7, 75 youths assembled at the Naxal camp to watch sports, said villagers. In the meantime, security forces gheraoed the camp and opened fire. The Naxals fired in retaliation and fled the scene, but the villagers got trapped.

"I was present at the Naxal camp to watch sports. While the Naxals were preparing for the activity, security forces opened fire at the camp. In retaliation, Naxals opened fire at the security personnel and fled the spot and innocent villagers got killed in the encounter," a villager Sudru Farsa said.

Seven people from Urla and one each from Chotepalli and Kolnar were killed in the firing. To prove the killed villagers as Naxals, the security personnel dressed them up in the left behind clothes of the Maoists, the villagers alleged.

On the other hand, DIG (Naxal operation) Sundarraj P said the encounter was not fake and those killed were Naxals only who were planning something big.