A student walks the ramp during a fashion show organised at Ranchi Club auditorium. Picture by Hardeep Singh nSee Page 20

Feb. 2: A CRPF personnel allegedly shot dead an innocent villager late last night in Kole under Keredari block, about 65 km off the district headquarters, during a raid conducted to zero in on Naxalites.

The 35-year-old victim, Lalku Mahto, was in his in-laws’ place when he was shot dead.

Tension gripped the area following the incident and the villagers of Kole stopped movement of trains for more than 12 hours today.

According to sources, the joint raiding team of police and CRPF reached Kole late last night and arrested two extremists — Santosh Yadav and Ram Swaroop Munda. After interrogating the arrested rebels, the team stated looking for another rebel, Manku Munda.

During the search operation in the village, the police team surrounded a house and asked those present inside to open the door. As Lalku came out opening the door, he was shot at by a CRPF personnel, identified as Ratan Singh. Mahto died on the spot

Singh could not explain why he had opened fire even hours after the incident.

Hazaribagh superintendent of police Praveen Kumar Singh said appropriate action would be taken against the errant CRPF personnel but termed the incident an accident.

The villagers of Kole and relatives of Mahto, however, accused the police and the CRPF of manhandling innocent people.

Claiming that the villagers often face the wrath of the police, who visit their area for anti-Naxalite operations, they staged an agitation, leading to disruption of railway services for hours.

Senior officials of the district administration had to rush to the spot to pacify the agitating crowd. The officials announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 to the relatives of the deceased besides other benefits under government schemes.

Earlier, Chouparan police had killed a businessman from Uttar Pradesh, Pradhan. Thereafter, a student of Itkhori, Pintu Singh, was also killed under similar circumstances.