Ex-SPO of Salwa Judum movement shot dead by Maoists in Bastar

Raipur: A villager, who had served as Special Police Officer (SPO) during the Salwa Judum movement in Bastar, has been killed allegedly by Maoists in the insurgency-hit Sukma district on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_3076632” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] The body of Podiyam Dula, in his 40s, was found in a forest area this morning between Murliguda and Banda villages, Sukma Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said. “As per preliminary information, a group of rebels picked the victim from his village Banda last night. He was later shot dead,” he said, adding soon after being informed, security forces rushed to the spot and the body was brought to Konta for post-mortem. Dula had worked as the SPO from 2006 to 2007. According to his brother, Dula was mentally unstable for the past several months, Elesela said. The Naxals have reportedly left a note at the spot in which they claimed that the victim was helping police. However, the SP refuted the charge. Salwa Judum, an anti-Maoist civil militia, was disarmed and disbanded in 2011 in the state following a Supreme Court order declaring as illegal and unconstitutional the deployment of tribal youths as Special Police Officers in the fight against Maoist insurgency.