By IANS
Bhopal : Maoist rebels in Madhya Pradesh have reportedly vowed to kill top police officials to avenge the death of their slain commander Sunanda Bai.
The state police were informed about a recent meeting of Maoists in Nagpur, Maharashtra, where Sunanda’s husband Rajesh Markam pledged to kill senior police officials who they hold responsible for their commander’s death, informed sources said.
Sunanda was recently killed at Dhiri village in Balaghat. The police had seized a .30 bore automatic US-made rifle after the gun battle with Maoists in which she was killed.
Police said they had been informed of the threat.
“Yes, a message in the above context has been received by us from Maharashtra but there is nothing to worry about,” Inspector General of Police (Balaghat range) Anwesh Mangalam told IANS by phone.
“The security in the area has been strengthened in view of the Maoist threat. We are giving the rebels a tough time and Markam too will soon be in police custody,” he said.
“Two companies of the Special Task Forces (STF) have already been deployed in Dhiri and security will be strengthened further,” Mangalam added.
Markam was reportedly appointed commander last week after his wife’s death Jan 20.
Though the death was not confirmed immediately after gun battle, pamphlets were later recovered from Nagpur, hailing Sunanda as a martyr.
“Maoists at the meeting held at Nagpur distributed pamphlets describing their colleagues killed in police encounters as martyrs and vowing to take revenge. They also faxed one such pamphlet to Nagpur police on Feb 28. They in turn alerted their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh,” a police official said.