RANCHI — At least 18 people, including the son of former chief minister Babulal Marandi, were killed while three others were injured in a Maoist attack in Jharkhand's Giridih district early yesterday, police officials said. The incident took place in Chilkhari village of Giridih district, about 290 km from state capital Ranchi.According to the police, around 30 to 40 rebels of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) dressed in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) uniforms attacked Chilkhari at around 1am yesterday while the villagers were engrossed in watching a cultural programme organised by Nunalal Marandi, the brother of Babulal Marandi. Arun Kumar Singh, the superintendent of police of Giridih district, said: "Eighteen people were killed while three others — two women and one-three-year old child — were injured in the Maoist attack."
Mahesh Ganju, a villager, said: "We thought they (Maoist rebels) were CRPF personnel and had come to provide security to us. Gradually they surrounded us and we thought it was security cover but then they started firing on us."
Babulal Marandi was also expected to attend the programme but wasn't able to do so. However, his younger son Anup attended the event and was killed along with 17 others when Maoist guerrillas fired indiscriminately at the gathering. Babulal Marandi said: "My family has been the target of Maoist rebels for a long time as we have been fighting against them and organising villagers to rebel against them.
"My brother and son committed a mistake by organising the programme late at night," he added.
His brother Nunalal blamed the local administration for security lapses leading to the massacre. "I had informed the police and district administration about the programme but no proper security arrangements were made to provide security to me and the villagers," Nunalal told IANS.
Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) party has called for a state-wide shutdown today to protest against the Maoist attack.
Chief Minister Madhu Koda has announced compensation for the kin of those killed. The officer in charge of the Deori police station, under whose jurisdiction Chilkhari falls, has been suspended. Koda said: "The families of those killed will be given Rs.100,000 and one member of each family will be given a job."
| How does that fix the problem? Chief needs to run down the Maoists. |