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4 min readRaipurFeb 17, 2026 07:19 AM IST
The incident took place late on Sunday evening in a jungle area next to Hanspur, the last village on the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border.
A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) was arrested along with three more men on Monday for allegedly murdering a 62-year-old man and injuring two more persons in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district.
The incident took place late on Sunday evening in a jungle area next to Hanspur, the last village on the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border.
The four arrested were Kusmi SDM Karun Dahariya, a State Administrative Service Officer, and three associates, Vicki Singh alias Ajay Pratap Singh, Manjit Kumar Yadav and Sudip Yadav. They allegedly used rods and sticks to beat up three local residents, including 62-year-old Karan Ram alias Ramnaresh, who was from a tribal community. All three were rushed to a local hospital, where Karan Ram succumbed to his injuries.
After the incident, villagers protested against the local administration, demanding action against Dahariya. A distant relative of Ram and a Congress worker, Rajiv Tirki, said, “On Sunday, the villagers, including Ram, were stopping a Hyva involved in illegal bauxite mining. At this time, the SDM and his partners reached the spot and began assaulting them, which led to the death of Ram. Even the Naib Tehsildar was at the spot, and Ram’s family has refused to accept the body till the Naib Tehsildar is arrested and compensation is given to the family.”
However, Dahariya has told police that he had received information on illegal bauxite mining and went there to take action. A police officer said, “Something is fishy. Dahariya told us that he went to the spot in a private car with three private men. But he neither used his government vehicle nor was his driver or gunman with him. He should have informed us and taken our help, but we did not receive any information from him. We are questioning him about all this. We are also questioning the owner of the Hyva vehicle about what it was doing there.”
Balrampur Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Banker said, “We have registered an FIR under BNS sections 103(1) (murder) and 115(2) (causing hurt). The trio will be produced before a magistrate’s court.”
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel targeted the ruling BJP over the incident. Calling it “administrative terrorism”, Baghel wrote on X, “The ‘administrative terrorism’ prevailing under the BJP’s so-called ‘good governance’ has once again claimed the life of an innocent villager in Chhattisgarh. It is alleged that in Balrampur, the Kusmi SDM and Naib Tehsildar, along with 5–6 associates, brutally assaulted farmers who were returning from irrigating their fields. The SDM and his accomplices reportedly beat them so severely that one farmer succumbed to his injuries, while two others remain hospitalised.”
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“The matter is linked to illegal bauxite mining. A few days ago, villagers had intercepted a truck involved in illegal bauxite excavation; they have now been forced to pay for that action with their lives. The entire BJP government and its officials are neck-deep in corruption and are actively patronising the corrupt,” Baghel said.
Villagers, the Sarva Adivasi Samaj, and Congress workers have carried out protests.
Hitting back at Baghel, Rajnandgaon BJP MP and the party’s chief spokesperson, Santosh Pandey, said the state government is investigating the matter with utmost sensitivity. “People have not forgotten the anarchy when Bhupesh Baghel was in power. Incidents like those in Surajpur, Kondagaon, and Gariaband have involved individuals associated with the Congress party. The Congress party should introspect before pointing fingers at others,” Pandey said.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
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