Ex-CM's son shot dead by Maoists

GIRIDIH: Lulling their victims into a sense of security by wearing CRPF uniform, Naxalite gunmen sprayed bullets on an evening of gaiety in a Jharkhand village, killing 19 people, including the son of MP and former chief minister Babulal Marandi.

The attack early Saturday was reminiscent of the killing of former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Sunil Mahto
on March 4 this year when Maoists struck at a prize distribution ceremony after a local football match in East Singhbhum district. Policemen deputed to keep watch had left early in the evening instead, hours before the Maoists struck.

‘‘Armed Maoists fired when a cultural programme was on between 12.30 am and 1 am and killed 19 people, including Anup Marandi, son of Babulal Marandi,’’ DIG RK Mullick said in Ranchi. The cultural programme and a local football match were organised at Chilkhadi village in Giridih district to mark Lakshmi Puja.

Marandi’s brother, three women and a three-year-old child were among the 10 people injured in the attack. Five of the injured were admitted to Dhanbad’s Pataliputra Medical College Hospital.

The Naxalites mingled with the crowd that had gathered at the cultural programme long before they opened fire, Giridih SP Arun Kumar Singh said. They sat through the programme and then started firing randomly into the audience after midnight.

Singh admitted to lapses by the police. The in-charge of Deori police station, Virendra Singh, was deputed along with police personnel for the football match and cultural programme. But he returned early evening after prize distribution without waiting for the celebrations to end. Virendra and five other policemen have been suspended.

‘‘It is a clear case of negligence on the police officer’s part,’’ Singh said. The attackers could have slipped back to Bihar as the village is on the border with that that state, he said. Jharkhand director general of police VD Ram has ordered an intensive manhunt and combing operation by Jharkhand and Bihar police.

Marandi, leader of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha party, said his son should have avoided the late night programme in a Naxal stronghold. He said he was ready to talk to Maoists and request them to join the mainstream.