Maoists kill former top rebel who turned police informer

“A group of nearly 10 Maoists attacked him at Kottapal around 12 pm and killed him on the spot,” said Bijapur ASP I Kalyan Elesela. The police noted that he was a “high-risk target” of the Maoists and was often warned not to visit Kottapal.

Due to his involvement in several prominent attacks on the security forces and proximity to top Maoists, Shivaji was a major intelligence source for the police as his investigation had revealed several secrets of the rebels. “His death is a major loss for us,” said an officer.

A native of Silger village in Sukma district, Shivaji surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh police in May 2013 and was brought to Chhattisgarh a month later.

However, instead of providing him a mandatory job and other benefits under the relief and rehabilitation policy, the state police made him a Gopniya Sainik, which is a temporary post of informer in the police department. In place of a mandatory home, Shivaji was accommodated in the Bijapur police lines.

The former rebel was also not given a cash reward of Rs 9 lakh he was entitled to for surrendering and used to be paid only a monthly remuneration of Rs 5000.

Shivaji had joined the Maoists in 2002 and had soon become a member in Platoon 2 of Indravati National Park Area Committee. He later rose to become a member of the West Bastar Division. At the time of his surrender, he was the Military Intelligence in-charge of the West Bastar Division.

He was a key member in some of the biggest attacks on forces including Toynar (2006), Basaguda relief camp (2006) NMDC (2006), Murkinar (2006) and Rani Bodli (2007).

As many as 55 security personnel and SPOs were killed in the Rani Bodli ambush, making it the second biggest Maoist attack on forces after Tadmetla.