RAJ KUMAR
– DGP hints at rebel rivalry
Gumla, : Nine members of two families, including three children, were slaughtered in the dead of night in two villages, situated within 10km of the district headquarters, yesterday.
The theories behind the massacre are both varied and baffling. While the state police chief hinted at rivalry between rebel factions, local residents claimed the deceased were victims of a protracted gang war.
DIG, South Chotanagpur, Sampat Meena, who has rushed to Gumla, said the victims might have had criminal links, “but most things are still not clear”.
In the capital, 90km from the murder sites, chief minister Arjun Munda said that the massacre prima facie appeared to be the result of land dispute. “It is not a sign of deteriorating law and order,” he stressed.
Five members of a family in Taisera, a village 7km from the district headquarters beside Gumla-Simdega Road, had their throats slit while they slept. Septuagenarian Mary Tirkey, her nephew Simon (20) and grandson Manish (8) were found dead in their room while the bodies of her younger son Suman and his fiancée Martina were found at the entrance of the house and courtyard, respectively.
Villagers said Suman, an employee of Central Coalfields Limited posted in Ramgarh, was to marry Martina on Sunday.
Mary’s son-in-law Shreel Ekka said the criminals carried out the massacre silently. “They did not use firearms. They killed people in their sleep by slitting throats. I came to know of the incident around 8am today,” he told The Telegraph.
In the second incident, four members of a family were killed in a similar fashion at Mahua Toli in Brinda village, about 2km from Taisera and 9km from the district headquarters. Kailash Devi (50), daughter-in-law Savitri (24) and grandsons Deepak (4) and Sunil (2) were all killed within 200 metres of their house.
Bonu Gope, a resident of Brinda, said no one in the village got inkling what was happening. “We spotted bodies at two different places in a field this morning,” he said.
Villagers of Taisera and Brinda claimed the killings were result of vengeance. “Vinod Singh, the younger brother of criminal Anil Singh, was shot dead at a village fair in Bargaon, a kilometre from Taisera, at 6pm yesterday. The Singhs are residents of Ambua Toli, 5km from Taisera,” a local resident said. Another added: “The massacre took place within hours of the shooting. We suspect the families were targeted to avenge Vinod Singh’s killing.” Courtesy:TheTelegraph..
Madhubaganiar's Blog 