A clump of long hair glistened in the damp undergrowth of Kohameta hill. Four days after a nine-hour long gunbattle here left 35 dead, rain had swept away the blood and left everything else, including empty bullet shells, looking uncannily fresh.
On the morning of October 4, company number six of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army, the armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), was encircled and outnumbered by security forces in this corner deep inside the forests of southern Chhattisgarh that it considers a base area, or safe zone. The battle ended with no losses to the security forces, and 35 insurgent deaths – 13 of them women.
Had the hair of a woman insurgent come unstuck while her corpse was dragged on the forest floor? “We had to drag and collect the bodies at one place before packing them,” said Smruthik Rajanala, a tall, lean Indian Police Service officer who led the operation.
The security forces carried back 31 bodies in plastic bundles strung on bamboo poles, and displayed them for press cameras the next evening on the lawns of a police campus. As the plastic parted from the putrefying faces, one of them looked like a boy not older than...
You may also like
MAFS star raises over £12k for families impacted by tragic Newcastle explosion
Liam Payne sings at Niall Horan concert days before his tragic death in Argentina
"There is enough evidence for ED": BJP leader Shaina NC on MUDA land allotment scam
Where is India's forgotten war headed?
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's 'secret weapon' who is also adored by Prince Harry
Arsenal have four players who can save the club millions in the January transfer window
Supermarket bills warning as 'very high' prices include popular item up 9.5 percent
Genius method for drying clothes in winter for free with kitchen cupboard favourite
Liverpool's Luis Diaz hailed as 'best' by Aston Villa's Jhon Duran in telling interview
'Amazing' optical illusion reveals if you are kind-hearted or hard working
England boss Thomas Tuchel's view on Sir Alex Ferguson legacy at Man Utd speaks volumes
Breakfast In Indore- 7 Kachori Joints To Visit For A Crispy Start Of The Day
Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy shares heartfelt message as singer dies
Big Brother star Ryan Bradshaw details shocking booze rule in unaired scenes
Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton join Kennedy clan at Ethel Kennedy funeral
Liam Payne's poignant final message to fans in last moments before sudden death
BREAKING: Harry Styles' mum shares heartbreak as One Direction's Liam Payne dies aged 31
Harris' Response To Question On Gender-Affirming Surgery For Inmates Criticised: 'She Deflected
Punjab holds camp for real estate certificates
Bret Baier Alleges Kamala Harris Showed Up 15 Minutes Late For Interview