Balaghat, Sep 17 (IANS) Tension gripped the Lanji region of Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh after suspected Maoists allegedly kidnapped a tribal youth from Pusera village and reportedly killed him, triggering widespread panic among locals.

Inspector General (Balaghat) Sanjay Kumar confirmed the youth’s disappearance and the recovery of the pamphlets.

Speaking to IANS, the senior police officer said, “The youth, identified as Devendra Kushwaha alias Dhaddu, was reportedly abducted late Tuesday night. A police team has been dispatched to search for him. We cannot say he has been killed as we have yet to recover his body. The police are on an intensive search in dense forest area. Only after the youth is found, we will be able to confirm what actually happened it is a Naxalite kidnapping or if other motives are involved. Investigations are underway.”

Following the abduction, villagers discovered two pamphlets written in red ink, purportedly left behind by members of the Malajkhand Area Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). One pamphlet accuses Devendra of being a police informant and declares that he has been “sentenced to death.” The second warns villagers to refrain from cooperating with security forces and threatens consequences for those who do.

“Prima facie, the case appears to be linked to the Malajkhand Area Committee of CPI (Maoist),” another police officer said.

According to the contents of the first pamphlet, Devendra had allegedly provided intelligence on Maoist movements and camps to the police on multiple occasions. It claims he was once detained in the forest under the alias “Dahan” and had been regularly supplying yoghurt and milk to the Pitkona police station.

The pamphlet concludes that, based on these activities, Devendra was deemed guilty and sentenced to death by the Maoist group.

Security forces have intensified search operations across the Malajkhand belt, deploying personnel to locate the missing youth and prevent further escalation.

The incident has reignited fears among villagers, many of whom now hesitate to engage with law enforcement due to threats from insurgents. This latest episode underscores the persistent challenge of Naxalism in Madhya Pradesh, even as the Union Home Ministry has set March 2026 as the target for the complete eradication of the movement.

Authorities are urging calm and cooperation from locals while assuring that every effort is being made to ensure Devendra’s safe recovery and restore peace in the region.

–IANS

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