IG, SP reach Latehar village where Maoists killed PTR’s trekker

• Palamu IG and Latehar SP visited Douna village where a tourist was beaten to death by Maoists on suspicion of being a police informer
• The villagers were reluctant to cooperate with the police, fearing retaliation from the Maoists
• The police assured the villagers of their safety and urged them to stay united against the Maoists' threats

Palamu IG R K Lakra and Latehar SP Anjani Anjan on Friday rushed to Douna village under Netarhat police station where Maoists had beaten Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) tourist Dev Kumar Prajapati (45) to death a few days ago on suspicion of being a police informer.

However, the 300-odd residents of Douna village wished that the police did not come to them as it would further enrage the Maoists to wreak havoc like when they beat Prajapati to death. The police wanted to break this ice of the villagers. It was hard and tough, said Latehar SP Anjani Anjan.

Anjani Anjan told this correspondent today, “We told the villagers not to trust us. We have come to tell them that they are united so that the Maoists cannot pick one, two, or three and give them a raw deal. A consolidated village will come as a deterrent to the Maoists.” He further said, “Maoists beat up 3 men. The two survived their attacks, but Prajapati succumbed to their cruelty. The Maoists cannot afford to punish the entire village. So be together."

Anjani Anjan said, “We told them that Prajapati never worked for us. He was not one of us, yet the Maoists killed him. It is a heinous act by the Maoists.” He persuaded the villagers not to try to share any information with the police when their lives were in danger.

The SP told the villagers not to bother sharing any information with us at the cost of their own lives. "There's no point in passing the information on. The police want their lives to be safe and secure," he added.

It is noteworthy that the Maoists who killed the trekkers have widened the gap between the villagers and the police and here the Maoists have the upper hand as their return to the old barbaric act which was most seen in the 1990s and early 2000s has sent a dire signal to a large number of villagers across Latehar. However, the Latehar police are also doing public relations to ease the pain and suffering of the villagers and Friday's visit was a step forward.