Maoists kill, set on fire ex-Naxal in Bijapur

In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, Maoists killed and set their ex-cadre on fire, who joined the police force after quitting the banned organization, police said on Friday.

Rebels attacked Somdu Ram Poyam alias Mallesh, a constable of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), with sharp weapons on Thursday evening at Kotrapal village under Jangla police station limits, Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Sundarraj P said.

The deceased policeman's brother, who is a jan militia commander of Maoists in the area, was also allegedly involved in the attack, he said.

After quitting the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2014, Poyam had joined the DRG and was post

ed here, the Bastar IG said.

As per preliminary information, the victim had gone to meet his relatives in the village where ultras, including his brother, killed him brutally, Sundarraj said.

The red rebels also set ablaze the victim's body in front of his family members

and escaped the crime scene, he said.

After receiving information about the incident, a police team was dispatched to the location on Friday morning to collect the victim's remains, he said.

A search operation has been launched in the area.