Lagatar24 Desk
Chhattisgarh, Feb 5: A BJP leader from Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, Neelkanth Kakkem was attacked and brutally hacked to death by Maoists on Sunday.
The leader identified as Nilkanth Kakkem was the BJP mandal president of Usoor Block for the last 15 years and was targeted while he was at his house in Awapalli, Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state for the wedding of his sister-in-law and was attacked with axes and knives after being dragged out of his house. Sources say the murder happened in front of his family.
Over 150 armed Maoists had arrived in the village to carry out the attack but only three reached the BJP leader’s house, said police. Kakkem’s wife revealed that there were three people who showed up at her house and started attacking the BJP leader with knives.
The woman further said, “Three people came from that direction and started attacking him with knives. I rushed to intervene asking why they are stabbing him so they showed me the knife as well. After that, everyone gathered here.”
Chandrakant Gavarna, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ACP) said that Neelkanth Kakkem was attacked with weapons while he had gone to attend a wedding at his ancestral village in Paikram on February 5.
The ACP further said, “It has been learnt that the armed cadres of the proscribed CPI (M) attacked Neelkanth with axes and other sharp weapons till he collapsed and died on the spot.”
“We received news that Maoists have killed a civilian in Paikram village under Awapalli police station limits, following which a police team immediately rushed to the spot and seized the video.” the Maoists were in plain clothes, the ACP added.
Notably, the Maoists even left some flyers wherein they explained the reason for killing Kakkem. They said that Kakkem was manipulating the villagers and carrying out atrocities on them. They also intended to send a message over the claims that Maoists are on the back foot and their influence has significantly weakened in the state.
The murder comes just months before Chhattisgarh will undergo Assembly elections later this year.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered and further investigation is being initiated over the brutal murder, the police official said.
