Maoists abduct policeman’s parents in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada

Superintendent of Police , Dantewada , Abhishek Pallava told Hindustan Times that around dozen Maoists entered the Gumiypal village on Monday night and abducted constable Ajay Telam’s parents.

Raipur: Maoists have abducted the parents of a policeman in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, police said on Tuesday. The incident happened after the cop put up posters of the rebels in his village urging them to surrender during a campaign last month.
Superintendent of Police , Dantewada , Abhishek Pallava told Hindustan Times that around dozen Maoists entered the Gumiypal village on Monday night and abducted constable Ajay Telam’s parents.
“They abducted Telam’s father, Lachhu Telam (64) and mother Vijjo Telam (62 )and also beat up the constable’s sister,”the SP said.
Telam was recruited in the District Reserve Guard by Dantewada police last year.
“He had distributed pamphlets and put posters of Maoists in his village, urging them to surrender. On Tuesday, about 15-20 rebels from the village were about to surrender and hence out of frustration, Maoists have abducted his parents,” Pallava said.
Last month, the Dantewada police had launched the ‘Lon Varratu’ campaign under which posters and banners of the rebels, who carry cash rewards on their heads, are being put up in their native villages. The posters mention their names and appeal to the rebels to join the mainstream.
“I had met families from Gumiyapal village and urged them to come and live in Dantewada district headquarters. Some families did move but the constable’s parents, who are old, decided to live in their village,” said the SP.
Police sources said that about 200 people have gone to jungles to appeal to the Maoists to release Telam’s parents.
Last week, Maoists killed a policeman’s brother-in-law in Hiroli village of Dantewada.
Meanwhile, tribal leader Soni Sori said that Maoists’ act is condemnable but blamed the police force of “using the youth for their own gain”.
“If Maoists have abducted Ajay’s parents, this is completely wrong and is condemnable. But police are using tribal youths like Ajay for their gain. For the last two years, Ajay was being accused by villagers of giving information of two tribal youths – Lachhu and Podia – who were killed by security forces,” said Sori.