Silence blankets the hills bordering the villages of Hidur and Kalpar in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, where recently 29 insurgents were fatally brought down by security forces. Days after the encounter has ended, the imprints of the skirmish paint a stark picture. Marks from bullets are visible on trees at the encounter site.
According to the agency, the tribes living near the event's epicenter are hesitating to speak of what they witnessed or heard. Lingaram, a resident of Akameta village, claimed that his cousin Sukku, an active insurgent, was killed in the engagement.
Refusal to Vote in the Lok Sabha Elections
Lingaram shared that Sukku had joined the banned CPI (Maoist) in his youth. Despite family's pleas, he remained involved in the Maoist movement. The family has not yet contacted the police to claim Sukku's body. The paths leading to the encounter site, mostly dirt roads or through the jungle, were dug up at several spots. Following the incident, the insurgents' banners calling for the boycott of the Lok Sabha elections and raw memorials for deceased Maoists are now visible.
Locals Oppose Bridge Construction
Reaching this stronghold of the North Bastar Division Committee of insurgents requires crossing the Kotri river, which dries up in the summers. Officials claimed that the local administration has long been attempting to build a bridge over the river, but progress has stalled due to villagers' opposition. The encounter site lies 15 kilometers away from Bechagaht, at the tri-junction of Chhattisgarh's Kanker and Narayanpur districts and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. A villager Ayatu reported gunfire from a hill next to Kalpar village on the afternoon of April 16th but refused to elaborate further.
Encounter Begins at 12:30 PM
Police officers report that approximately 200 personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Border Security Force (BSF) initiated an anti-terrorism operation from multiple locations on the evening of April 15th, regrouping at Mehra village. They crossed the Kotri river at Khairipadar, passed through several other villages, and surrounded the hill suspected of sheltering senior Maoist operatives. The encounter, as reported by the police, commenced on Tuesday around 12:30 PM and lasted about four hours, resulting in the recovery of 29 insurgent bodies, including 15 women. Intense gunfire also injured three security personnel.
