Naxals kill police jawan in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: A police jawan was allegedly kidnapped and killed today by naxals in Maoist-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

Assistant Constable Rup Singh Thakur (35), abducted last evening, was found dead in Matda village this morning, Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore said.

The jawan posted at Jangla police station limits was kidnapped by ultras while he was returning from his duty. After getting the information of the incident, security forces were rushed to the spot to retrieve the victim's body, he said.

Prima facie it appears he was beaten to death, he said, adding, exact cause behind his death will be known after postmortem. Thakur was earlier special police officer ( SPO) during Salwa Judum movement and later appointed as assistant constable.

After Supreme Court rapped Chhattisgarh government for recruiting tribal youths as Special Police Officers (SPOs) during the Salwa Judum days, it recruited SPOs as assistant constables.