india

Updated: Sep 02, 2019 20:46 IST

A police team in Chhattisgarh trekked 12 km through jungles to carry an injured Maoist commander to a hospital in Dantewada on Sunday, a top police official said.

Madkam Hidma who carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, is now undergoing treatment for gangrene that he contracted after he was injured about fortnight ago when he fell into a spike trap while laying an improvised explosive device.

“It’s heartening that police personnel even after knowing that he had fallen into the spike trap, which he had laid for security forces, carried him on a cot and admitted him in the district hospital,” said Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada’s superintendent of police.

He said a team of 35 constables had been dispatched to bring the Maoist commander from a village in the jungle where he was being treated. The team carried Hidma for 12 km crossing rivers and rough terrain. There were no other Maoist in the village.

“I instructed the force to bring injured Maoist commander to hospital and did not waste time in interrogating him. Hidma developed gangrene of leg and the infection could have been life threatening,” said the SP who himself is a qualified doctor.

A member of the Maoists’ Malangir Area Committee, Hidma has more than 10 cases registered against him for attacks on security forces in Sukma and Dantewada districts of Bastar region.

Pallava said that the Hidma was injured in the forests near Nagarguda/Maroki village in Sukma district.

“He was being given faith healing and local treatment. Despite the swelling and blackening of limbs, he was not allowed to get allopathic treatment,” the SP said.

Police had been tipped off about an injured man whom they later identified as Hidma.

Pallava even said that the police could consider recruiting Hidma into the force.

“First, we treat all Maoists as citizens of the country and they have a right to medical treatment. If they have committed any crimes, a court will later try and punish them. Secondly, it sends a positive signal to villagers that policemen are there to help them and thus boosts perception of police and thirdly, Hidma can be asset for future Naxal operations if he surrenders and joins police force,” said the SP.