Raipur: The Maoists on Thursday killed an ex-rebel Korsa Jagaram alias Shivaji in Kottapal village of Bijapur district. The topmost cadre from Chhattisgarh to have ever surrendered, Shivaji worked as the member of the West Bastar Division Committee of the CPI (Maoist). He was now a Gopniya Sainik (informer) with the Bijapur police.
“A group of nearly 10 Maoists attacked him at Kottapal around 12 pm and killed him at 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, he was a major intelligence source for the police as his investigation had revealed several secrets about 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. Gopniya Sainik is a temporary post of informer in the police department as he enjoys the post at the discretion of the police superintendent. In place of a mandatory home, he was accommodated in the Bijapur police lines. While his cash award amounts to Rs 9 lakh, all he got was Rs 5000 monthly remuneration.
He joined the Maoists in 2002 and soon became a member in Platoon 2 of Indravati National Park Area Committee. He was later elevated as the 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 attack of Maoists on forces after Tadmetla.
