Garhwa, Jan. 19: It is rebel territory. The parched landscape and poor roads are forbidding. Reaching villages is a nightmare. At one point this correspondent and a local reporter had to get down, borrow spades and a pick-axe from a neighbouring village to literally make way for the car to pass.

People, who have been generally sympathetic to the rebels, make no secret of their annoyance following the killing of an “innocent” youth. People’s War had given the young man a bad name, accused him of indulging in crime and placing the responsibility on the banned outfit. Villagers insist he was innocent. But despite their anger, villagers, unlike government officials, are not ready to write off the rebels.

Officials are obviously more belligerent. “They have no principles. Except solving petty problems at the ‘jan adalats’, their job is confined to levy realisation.

They have stalled all types of development work. They engage poor villagers for risky jobs and kick them out soon after the business is over,” argued Palamau DIG K.D.P. Singh.

The villagers too endorse this view but differently. “No, they are not opposed to development work. They stall work at only those places where contractors refuse to pay the levy amount. In fact, they often help our youths secure work under contractors and even petty contracts from block offices. For this, they charge 5 per cent levy. If you approach the block office directly, they will demand 35 per cent commission,” explained Izhar Ansari of Dudhawal village.

The DIG claimed that a few contractors had been cheating the exchequer and the people after greasing palms of the rebels. They often threatened the engineers and stopped them from inspecting the sites. They also indirectly helped them lay landmine traps when the road constructions are on, he said.

Ranka police station officer in charge Naresh Kumar claimed Jalal Ansari was killed by the PW rebels because he refused to join the outfit.

“They wanted to send him to Andhra Pradesh for training. They offered to pay Rs 3,000 every month. But he was recently selected for home guards and therefore refused,” he added.

Jalal’s father Abid Ansari, still in mourning, confessed to being sandwiched between the police and the rebels.

“My elder son was arrested seven months ago after the police recovered a few PW pamphlets from him. If rebels ask you to circulate the pamphlets, you have no choice.”