Thaindian News

Raipur, June 6 (IANS) Holaram Sahu, the lone Chhattisgarh policeman who survived the May 23 Maoist attack on a state police team, Monday resumed his service after recovering from his injury, and vowed to seek revenge for the killing of his nine colleagues in the attack.

“I have recovered from injury and discharged from hospital, I can tell you that I am not quitting this job in fear of the Maoists. In fact, I am returning to my posting in a jungle of Raipur district with the sole purpose to seek revenge,” Sahu, a police constable in his 20s, told reporters.

Sahu was discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital May 30, a week after a 10-member team of the state police, led by additional superintendent of police (ASP) Rajesh Pawar, was ambushed by the rebels in Orissa, bordering Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district.

Nine policemen were killed in the incident. A police reinforcement team managed to reach the spot after 24 hours of the incident, only to recover their bodies which were mostly chopped into pieces.

Sahu was captured by Maoists who kept him chained for a week in forests. He was found lying unconscious May 30 near a culvert.

“I was physically tortured for an entire week. They beat me and tied me to trees. The brutal killing of my nine colleagues is haunting me all the time, I will be returning to my posting with the sole purpose to seek revenge,” Sahu said.

Recounting the incident, Sahu said that dozens of heavily-armed Maoists, mostly women, surrounded their vehicle and started shooting.

“They (Maoists) were beating drums when the policemen were receiving bullet shots. It was intended to inform their back up cadres that they have successfully completed their operation. But when their four colleagues were killed in the firing, they got angry and the cut the cops’ bodies into pieces.”