Villagers allege Bijapur encounter fake, victims were collecting tendu

In Bijapur, the protest is gaining momentum. Tribal rights activists plan to visit Pidiya village, around 40km from Bijapur and 470km south of Raipur, on a fact-finding mission and Maoists have issued a statement alleging that innocent villagers were killed in police action.Protesters from Pidiya village in Bijapur’s Gangaloor region, where the alleged encounter occurred, began arriving at the district headquarters on Saturday.