Ghatshila NSS man killed by Maoists

Jamshedpur: A volunteer of Nagrik Suraksha Samity, a local ant-Maoist outfit, was allegedly killed by rebels in Ghatshila subdivision under Musabani police station area late on Friday. Raghunath Kisku, who was in his early 30s, was shot dead near Bakra Pool at 8pm while he was on his way back home in Hadiyan village from Bakra haat, 50km from here.
NSS was formed by a group of villagers in 2003 to counter Maoist activities. The outfit, which has the tacit support of the police, has lost ten active members to Maoist in the past 10 years.
Police believe that the Maoists’s Supa Tudu squad killed Kisku because he allegedly informed the police about rebel movement in the area. An active member of the NSS, Kisku was on the hit list of Maoists, who are trying to regain their authority in Musabani, Gurabandha and Ghatshila police station area, police said. “Investigation into the incident is underway,” said rural police superintendent, Shailendra Kumar.
Kisku was one of the founder members of NSS and was actively involved in running a campaign against the rebels in the area, locals said. He is survived by five children, including four daughters and two wives, who live separately. “With the main objective of reclaiming their authority in the area and terrorizing the locals, the Maoists have targeted an NSS member,” said a senior NSS functionary.
The locals complained that Maoist-related incidents of violence have seen a steady rise in the recent months. In last September itself, a local trader Krishna Saw of Ghatshila was also shot by the rebels. Meanwhile, Ghatshila subdivisional police jointly with the CRPF has launched a massive search operation to nab the rebels.