Cops’ informant was former Maoist

Indicating the partial success of the government’s amnesty policy for Naxals, it has been revealed that the informant in the latest encounter that killed seven ultras was a former Maoist himself, who had joined the police ranks a few years ago. The firefight took place at around 10 pm on Monday night in the Kurkheda division of Gadchiroli district and two of the deceased were women.

According to sources in the Gadchiroli police, the informant, now working with the police as a specially recruited police constable, had laid down his weapons a few years ago. He then joined the police force, changed his identity and looks so as not to be identified by his former comrades. The dreaded militants have vindictively killed their former compatriots in assassinations and bombings in Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Maharashtra.
“We had been trying to track Naxal movements in the area for a long time when the former Naxal received a tip-off about their presence. The police party began combing the area and spotted the seven Naxals where one of the deceased, Lalsu Bidal who was wearing a blue shirt, was identified. In the meantime, the informant, who was hiding at a distance, gestured to the police signaling the confirmation when the Maoists were intercepted followed by a gunfight,” said an officer.
When contacted, SP Suvez Haq refused to reveal the details of the operation. “We are only proud of having tackling the Maoist menace with success, but cannot reveal anything about our information gathering process,” he said.

Source http://www.asianage.com/mumbai/cops-informant-was-former-maoist-805