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‘6-8 Maoists threw open our door, slapped my mother and killed my father’: Family of sarpanch candidate hacked to death in Chhattisgarh

According to Dantewada’s Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai, the police had received no complaints about potential threats to Joga Barse, whose wife is also a former sarpanch.

Joga Barse was previously associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and had eventually joined the Congress, which was supporting him during the panchayat elections. (Express)

Joga Barse and his family were asleep at their residence in Aranpur in Maoist-hit Datenwada when a group of six-eight Naxals allegedly forced their way into their home and hacked Barse, a former sarpanch, to death in the early hours of Friday morning.

This time too, Barse (52) was contesting for the sarpanch post from Aranpur in the three-tier panchayat elections in the state.

Recounting the ordeal, Barse’s 22-year-old son Rajesh told The Indian Express, “Six to eight Maoists, their faces covered, broke open our front door and caught hold of my father. When I tried to stop them, they threatened me at knife-point and forced us into a room. They slapped my mother and pushed her out of the house. Two of them killed my father. Nobody came to our help. It was a planned murder. We called the police at night, but they came in the morning.”

According to Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai, the police had received no complaints about potential threats to Barse, whose wife is also a former sarpanch.

Barse was previously associated with the BJP and had eventually joined the Congress, which was supporting him during these panchayat elections.

This is the second murder of a civilian from Aranpur in a week — on February 4, a 30-year-old man was hacked to death by Maoists in the same Aranpur area. It also comes at a time when security forces have accelerated their anti-Maoist operations in the state. Aranpur is located 55 kilometres from the district headquarters.

This is also the sixth such murder in the Maoist-affected Bastar region since the beginning of the year. According to government estimates, 68 civilians were killed in IED blasts, cross-firing and murders by Maoists last year.

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The Indian Express had visited Barse’s residence in April 2023, a few days after 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans were killed in an IED blast on the Aranpur road. At the time, he had said, “Barely any homes have electricity here, and the electricity board people do not come here due to the fear of Naxals. There is water scarcity and we need borewells. Several people have dropped out of college. Even the high school is two kilometres away.”

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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