Naxalites kill villager in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Bijapur: Suspected Naxalites killed a man in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in an attack said to be a 'retaliation' for the death of their 'commander' in a gunfight with security personnel last week, police said on Monday.

The body of Rishu Punem was found on Monday morning near Pusnar village under Gangalur police station limits, an official said.

The incident came to light after some villagers informed the police about Punem's body lying on the road. A police team later reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem, he said.

Naxalites killed Punem in a fit of rage after Gangalur Area Committee Militia Commander Toya Potam was gunned down in an encounter between security personnel and red rebels near Pusnar village on January 12, the official added.

A search was on in the area to nab the Naxalites responsible for the villager's killing, he said.