A recent anti-Naxal operation in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district led to the killing of a man who was later identified as a tribal and not a Maoist, according to officials.
The incident has sparked controversy, with the opposition Congress claiming the deceased was innocent and demanding a high-level probe and judicial inquiry.
The man, Hiran Singh Partha, 38, was a member of the Baiga community, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. The encounter took place on March 9, but his identity was confirmed only on March 13, a senior official stated. According to Balaghat Zone Inspector General (IG) of Police Sanjay Kumar, Partha was found accompanying Naxalites deep in the forests of Khatiya.
However, the officer noted that there were no official records linking him to Maoist activities, and his association with the Naxalites remains under investigation.
Following the encounter, police arrested two individuals with alleged Maoist ties. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Narayan Singh Patta, who represents the tribal-dominated Bichhiya constituency, visited Partha’s village on Saturday. He met with the deceased’s children and local residents but was reportedly prevented from meeting Partha’s wife, who was at the police station.
Patta described Partha as a father of five who had worked under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and claimed he may not have even known about Maoists. According to Patta, Partha frequently ventured into the jungle to collect forest produce and catch parrots.
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The Congress leader has demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.
Initially, police reported on March 9 that a suspected Naxalite was killed during an encounter and that intelligence on his background was being gathered. IG Kumar had stated that around 205 rounds of ammunition were fired during the operation, including 125 rounds by Naxalites.
A .315 bore firearm was reportedly found near Partha’s body. The operation was carried out by the state police’s anti-Naxal Hawk Force following intelligence reports indicating the presence of Maoists in the Kanha National Park area.
In addition to Partha’s killing, two 28-year-old casual forest department laborers, Ashok Kumar Valko and Santosh Kumar Dhurve, were arrested for allegedly supplying ration to Naxalites. They have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
However, Balsingh Thakur, chief of the Madhya Pradesh Van Karmachari Sangh, a forest workers’ union, has refuted the allegations, stating that Valko and Dhurve were falsely implicated. The union plans to petition the Mandla superintendent of police for their release, insisting they are innocent tribal labourers.
Amid mounting concerns over the incident, local authorities are facing pressure to conduct a fair investigation to determine the circumstances of Partha’s death and the validity of the arrests.
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