Two former sarpanch killed by Maoists, ‘leave BJP or get killed’ pamphlet found on his body

Case Summary
Maoists in Bijapur district brutally killed two former sarpanchs, Suklu Farsa and Sukhram Avalam, on December 5, 2024, after kidnapping them a day prior. Farsa, a BJP worker and head of the party's Kisan Morcha in Bhairamgarh, was targeted for his political affiliation despite repeated threats to leave the BJP. A Maoist pamphlet found on his body warned, “Quit BJP or die.” His teenage daughter’s emotional video plea for his release went unanswered, and his body was found with his throat slit. Sukhram, a former sarpanch of Kader village, was killed for supporting the establishment of security camps in the region. The murders occurred in separate locations within Bijapur, an area plagued by Maoist insurgency. Farsa was kidnapped during a funeral visit in Bhairamgarh, while Sukhram was abducted while returning from a market in Gangaloor. Both victims were found with Maoist pamphlets justifying their killings. Sukhram was accused of betraying the public by cooperating with security forces, while Farsa’s assassination was linked to his BJP allegiance and past involvement in the Salwa Judum, a now-disbanded state-sponsored militia for counterinsurgency. “He was warned two-three times by Maoists but he didn’t pay heed. The fourth time, PLGA punished him with death. We ask BJP workers to quit the party or else they will be given death punishment for sure. This is a warning,” the pamphlet read.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, there is a strong suspicion that the BJP leaders were murdered by the Maoists for their affiliation to a party which is perceived to be pro-Hindu. Maoists have often targeted Hindus and Hindu leaders explicitly for their affiliation to the Hindu organisations and for the religious identity. Over the years, several Maoists have been convicted for targeted killings of Hindu leaders and those associated with Hindu organisations. In this case, however, the details don't provide information about the intent of the killing being association with a perceived Hindu party. As such, Maoists and Naxals have murdered leaders of several other political parties as well. For that reason, this case is being documented as undecided. This case will be added to the hate crime database if more information emerges.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
2
Gender
- Male 2
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 2
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 2
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown