Illustration for representational purpose

JAGDALPUR: A police informer was hacked to death by suspected Maoists in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh , police said Sunday.

The incident occurred late Saturday night when the deceased, identified as Chhannu Sodhi (30), was on a visit to Bastanar weekly market under Kodenar police station area of the district, a local police official said.

Sodhi was attacked by a 'small action team' of Maoists (typically comprising four-five cadres) with axes, leaving him dead on the spot, he said.

Soon after being alerted, a police team was rushed to the spot and the body was brought for the post-mortem, the official said, adding that a search operation was launched in the area to trace the assailants.

Sodhi was working as 'gopaniya sainik' (secret police informer), who are appointed by district superintendent of police at local level for anti-Maoist operations, especially for gathering intelligence.

Mostly surrendered cadres work as police informers, but Sodhi had not been associated with the outlawed Maoists, the official added.

According to police, Sodhi was working in Katekalyan police station area of neighbouring Dantewada district and became a victim of a Maoist trap.

"Maoists had recently put up pamphlets in its Darbha division and other places and tried to lure their surrendered colleagues, who are now working as assistant police constables and informers, to return to their villages and stop helping security forces," Dantewada superintendent of police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.

Maoists had claimed that those who return to their villages will be given lands and houses, a promise which was nothing but a ploy. Sodhi fell into this trap and returned to his village without informing police, he said.

"I had warned Sodhi and other assistant constables, mostly recruited in District Reserve Guard (DRG) - state's anti-Maoist force, and police informers that they should not get influenced by the Maoist conspiracy and should not return to their villages," Pallava added.

