Chatra: A tribal man and his son were shot dead allegedly by Naxalites in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on suspicion that they were police informers, officials said Sunday.
The incident happened at Hindia Kala village in the Kunda police station area Saturday night, they said.
The deceased, identified as Chhedi Birhor (48) and his son Pankaj Birhor (30), belonged to a particularly vulnerable tribal group, they added.
“The man and his son were allegedly killed by members of Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC),” Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Pandey said.
Pankaj’s elder brother Vidhayak Birhor told police that around 60-70 Naxalites surrounded their house and knocked on the door.
“When no one opened the door, they broke into the house through the roof. At first, they thrashed them and then shot them dead,” he said.
Vidhayak said he was not in the house when the attack happened.
“Had I been at home, I would also have been killed,” he told reporters.
The family had handed to the police a Naxalite who demanded Rs 10,000 from them as extortion after they received money for building a house under the state’s Birsa Awas Yojna, a police officer said.
“The TSPC was furious over this incident. In revenge, they might have committed the crime,” he said.
PTI
