Days after the murder of a father-son duo from a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), the banned Jharkhand Naxal outfit Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) claimed on Saturday that the killings were in self-defense during a confrontation.
Pankaj Birhor and his father Bifan were killed on May 25 at their home in Hindiyakala village, Chatra district.
Pankaj’s brother, Vidya Birhor, alleged that the murders were retribution for their opposition to the rebels’ extortion demands and for handing over notorious extremist Mantu Ganjhu to the police on April 15.
However, Ajay, the self-styled platoon commander of TSPC’s Chatra-Palamu Frontier Zonal Committee, stated that his squad had gone to resolve a dispute with Pankaj, which escalated into violence.
“Pankaj and his father were involved in an illegal liquor business. Pankaj’s brother Vidya was acting as a police informer and harassing local people,” Ajay stated.
