Maoists gun down four in Jharkhand

Source: ET

28 Aug 2009, 2125 hrs IST, IANS

RANCHI/NEW DELHI: Maoist rebels gunned down four people, including a woman and a 14-year-old girl, after raiding a house near this Jharkhand

capital Friday. The central government "strongly" condemned "such wanton and brutal" killings.

A group of about 20 armed Maoists attacked the home of Digambar Mahato in Bundu, about 45 km from here, at 1.30 a.m.

The rebels blasted the door of the house with IEDs and grenades and then opened indiscriminate fire, resulting in the death of Rita Kumari, 14, Budni Devi, 25, Pradeep Kumar, 25, and Vijay Pramanik, 16.

Mahato's younger daughter was injured and was admitted to a hospital, where her condition was said to be out of danger.

"The mode of operation indicates that Maoist rebels executed the killing," said Arun Mathew, superintendent of police (Rural).

In New Delhi, a home ministry statement said the Communist Party of India-Maoist was "desperate" to "take control of common citizens".

"We should be aware that the true face of the CPI-Maoist is that of an organised group of terrorists. Apart from such inhuman acts, the (rebels) remain anti-development and continue to target the very instruments of development - school buildings, roads, telephone towers and railway stations," the statement said.

"The government will take strong action against the perpetrators of violence and terror," it added.

In the last five days, Maoist guerrillas have killed six people, including two security personnel. The rebels have also blown up railway tracks at two places and have blasted three mobile phone towers in Jharkhand.

On Aug 21, the Maoists shot dead a villager in Jamua in East Singhbhum district, accusing him of being a police informer.

On Aug 9, they killed Baldeo Besra, a small shopkeeper in Dodwa village in Hazaribagh district on a similar charge.

"It shows the true face of the Naxalites (Maoists) who resort to indiscriminate and motiveless killing including the killing of innocent children to achieve the goal of their so-called ?struggle'. Such wanton killings are intended to instill fear in the minds of the common people," the home ministry statement said.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of Jharkhand's 24 districts. Nearly 1,500 people have been killed in Maoist-related violence in the last eight years.