Naxalites are reportedly planning to target some villagers whom they suspect to be special police officers (SPOs) providing intelligence inputs to the police that have resulted in frequent encounters with the police. Pamphlets of the Aheri area committee of the Maoists have been found warning villagers who act as SPOs to desist from helping police or face the same fate as Ravi Sunkari, an SPO who was killed in Kamlapur area a few days ago. The police acknowledge that Sunkari was an SPO but they say those named in the pamphlets are not SPOs. Inspector General of Police Ravindra Kadam told The Indian Express, “Some local rivalries often lead to branding of some as police informer or SPOs. Though we do have such people at our service, those named by Naxals are not.” [related-post] Kadam added,“Over the last year, we have mounted immense pressure on Moists in south Gadhchiroli, Aheri, and Etapalli in particular. They are getting into frequent encounters with us. They never had it so tough there. Rattled,they are resorting to terror tactics.” Naxals have termed SPOs as, “people’s enemy who work for those who loot tribals”.
