Naxalites kill deputy sarpanch in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

Sukma, Chhattisgarh: Naxalites have killed a deputy sarpanch of a village panchayat in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at Benpalli village under the Jagargunda police station limits around 3 pm on Monday, an official said.

As per preliminary information, a group of Naxalites asked the victim, Muchaki Rama, the deputy sarpanch of Tarlaguda village panchayat, to step out of his house and took him with them, he said.

The official said the victim was later found murdered, and the police were alerted, following which the body was sent for post-mortem.

With this incident, Naxalites have killed nine people at separate places in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, including Sukma, this year.

According to police, 68 civilians were killed last year in separate incidents of Naxal violence in the Bastar region.