Police jawan killed by unidentified assailants in Chhattisgarh; cops suspect role of Naxalites

A police jawan was killed by unidentified assailants at a village in the Naxalite-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.

The incident appears to be the handiwork of Maoists but the investigation is under way into all possible angles, they said.

The incident took place on Wednesday in Duvalipara village under Gangaloor police station limits where the deceased, identified as Assistant Constable Budhram Awlam, had gone to drop his relative on his motorcycle, a senior police official said.

Awlam, who was posted at Toynar police station, was on leave and had gone to his native place Jangla in the district, he said.

"On Wednesday, he went to Duvalipara to drop someone on his motorcycle, where he was kidnapped and murdered by some unidentified persons," he said.

Soon after being alerted about it, a police team was rushed to the spot and sent the body for post-mortem, he said.

"Prima facie, the modus operandi of the attack suggests it was executed by Naxalites. However, investigation is being done into all possible angles," the official said.

Meanwhile, security forces have launched a search operation in the area to trace the assailants, he added.