Naxals targeting SPOs throw fresh challenge to police

Nagpur: The latest murder of two Chhattisgarh Special police officers (SPO), Brijlal Tulavi and Anil Kalko, have renewed the heightened threat perception revolving around such formal on-field informer base of the security forces in the Naxal combat zones.
The victims were killed at Khairgatta village near Sawargaon in north Gadchiroli, around four kilometres from Chhattisgarh border by Naxals who also left behind a pamphlet justifying their acts of killing them for being SPOs with DIG of Manpur division of Chhattishgarh.The latest incident was registered as murder at Dhanora police station of north Gadchiroli. It is learnt that the SPOs had crossed into the Maharashtra border trying to contact a Naxal leader at Markegaon who they wanted to convince to surrender. The Naxals, in the pamphlet, claimed that SPOs were being targeted for trying to spread network across state borders to help police leading to encounters.
Though the SPOs were attached to Chhattishgarh police, it’s learnt the incident has raised concern among the local security forces in Gadchiroli too where three such formal volunteers have been killed so far this year. The Naxals had killed five SPOs last year too. Some SPOs were also eliminated in the neighbouring state of Chhattishgarh in the last two years.
There were whirling debate on the security of the SPOs in Gadchiroli this year after the Naxals had released a so-called ‘hit-list’ to target the police’s potent informer base. Though cops had claimed most names in the ‘hit-list’ were not on their records as SPOs, there was a considerable flutter in the department to protect these village-based informers on payrolls whose assistance has helped the security forces gain an upper hand against the rebels in the last two years.
Gadchiroli SP Sandip Patil said the failure of the SPOs to follow the Standard operation procedures (SOP) were leading to their being traced out by the enemies. “The analysis conducted behind the cause that led to the murders of SPOs has shown that either it was them or their handler police personnel who had faltered on some or the other points of SOP. The SPOs are not supposed to visit police stations or meet their handlers frequently but either of the them commit these mistakes leading to the Naxals finding them out,” said the SP. He added SPOs were being frequently reminded about the precautions to be followed. “Over enthusiasm on the part of the officers or SPOs can lead to fatal end,” he said.
Patil, admitting that murders may lead to dampening of spirit, said the department was constantly working to ensure that the morale of the SPOs remained high.
Nagpur and Naxal range IG Ravindra Kadam said the proposal of increasing the honorium of the SPOs from Rs3,000 to Rs6,000 had been already sent to the ministry of home affairs, which was being seriously considered.