Ranchi (Jharkhand): Over the past few days, pamphlets and posters by the banned Naxal outfit Communist Party of India (Maoist) have appeared across Jharkhand, ordering the killing of Special Police Officers (SPOs).
Earlier on November 15, a middle-aged man Jagir Bhagat was murdered in Lohardaga by Naxals, who accused him of being a police informer.
Since then, several posters by the CPI (Maoist) have surfaced across Naxal-infested regions of Lohardaga, West Singhbhum, Giridih, Ranchi and other districts. The posters warn police informers and have even ordered the killing of SPOs.
According to reports, there are around 4,500 SPOs in the state, who assist the police in obtaining information and carrying out anti-Naxal operations.
SPOs across the state are now in a state of terror following the killing of Bhagat.
However, according to police figures, only two SPOs have so far been murdered in Jharkhand. Official figures say no SPO was killed in 2019, and one each was killed in 2018 and 2017.
Read: Rewards for capture of top Naxals on the run
On the other hand, as many as 24 civilians have been killed so far in 2020, while the figure reads 23 for 2019 and 27 for 2018.
Sources, however, claim that most of the slain civilians were in fact SPOs, with the police refusing to admit it after their death.
Earlier, SPOs working for the police were given a direct cash handout. However, police officials say that now, money is transferred to their bank accounts, which has increased the possibility of their identity being revealed. Further, many district Superintendents of Police (SPs) have even expressed concerns over the transfer of money.
Meanwhile, another reason for the SPOs' identities being revealed is that many of them accompany the police in their anti-Naxal operations, which makes their identity public.
