Kanker, Chhattisgarh — A shocking incident of Maoist violence was reported from Binagunda village in Kanker district, where a young villager was brutally killed for hoisting the national flag on Independence Day.
The victim, identified as Manish Nureti, had raised the tricolour at a Maoist memorial site in the village on August 15 and shouted patriotic slogans. According to police, this act provoked the Maoists, who accused him of being a police informant. He was forcibly taken from his home, brought before a so-called “jan adalat” (people’s court), and executed in front of villagers.
Another man was also beaten during the incident. A video clip from the celebration reportedly shows Manish participating in the flag-hoisting ceremony. Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P confirmed that an investigation is underway, and further action will follow after verification of facts.
The regional Maoist committee has claimed responsibility for the killing, alleging that security agencies are using tribals as informants. Banners put up in the area carried threats against a local police officer, the village sarpanch, and members of the District Reserve Guard (DRG).
The killing comes at a time when the government has vowed to eliminate left-wing extremism by 2026. In the past year alone, security forces have inflicted heavy losses on Maoist groups, with official records stating that 357 Maoists were killed in encounters.
One of the most significant blows came in May 2025, when security forces eliminated Maoist general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraj, considered the central figure of the insurgency. He had been accused of masterminding several major attacks, including the deadly 2010 ambush in Dantewada in which 76 security personnel lost their lives.
The Maoist movement traces its roots back to 1967 in Naxalbari, West Bengal, before spreading to several states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Though weakened in recent years, it continues to pose a serious challenge to India’s internal security.
