Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Chhattisgarh NIA Court Sentences Man to Life for Naxal-Linked Murder
A court in Chhattisgarh sentenced Peeluram Anchla to life in prison.
The case involved the 2019 abduction and killing of 19-year-old Shyamnath Anchla.
Prosecutors said armed Naxals took Shyamnath from his home.
They said the group held a so-called jan adalat and shot him.
A note reportedly accused Shyamnath and his father of helping police.
Security forces arrested Peeluram in a forest in May 2023.
The defence said he was a farmer who had been wrongly accused.
The court found him guilty of murder-related charges but said there was not enough evidence to prove two UAPA charges.
A special NIA court in Kanker sentenced Peeluram Anchla, alias Salik Ram, to life imprisonment.
Prosecutors said Shyamnath Anchla was abducted from his home on August 26, 2019.
They alleged Naxals held a jan adalat and shot the 19-year-old after accusing him of being a police informer.
Security personnel arrested Peeluram during a joint BSF-DRG operation in May 2023, prosecutors said.
The court acquitted him under two UAPA provisions but convicted him under the IPC and Arms Act.
- Who
- Peeluram Anchla, alias Salik Ram, was convicted in the killing of Shyamnath Anchla.
- What
- A special NIA court sentenced Peeluram to life imprisonment for abducting and killing Shyamnath, while acquitting him under two UAPA provisions.
- When
- The killing occurred on August 26, 2019; Peeluram was arrested in May 2023, and the sentence was reported on September 17.
- Where
- Shyamnath was abducted from Jugda village under Koylibeda police station and taken to a forest in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh.
- Why
- Prosecutors said Shyamnath was targeted after Naxals accused him and his father of acting as police informers.
Prosecution and Court
Defence
Identity and involvement
Prosecution and Court
The prosecution said Peeluram acted with other Naxalites to abduct Shyamnath and take him to a forest, where he was shot. The court found the case proved beyond reasonable doubt.
Defence
The defence said Peeluram was a farmer from Kagbars village who had been falsely implicated, and questioned an alleged discrepancy involving the identification of a man from Jugda village.
Evidence and charges
Prosecution and Court
Prosecutors cited witness statements, investigation findings and items allegedly recovered after Peeluram's arrest, including Maoist literature and a walkie-talkie. The court convicted him under the IPC and Arms Act.
Defence
The court did not find sufficient documentary or oral evidence to establish that Peeluram was a member or active associate of a proscribed Maoist organisation, and acquitted him under two UAPA provisions.
- Convict
- Peeluram Anchla, alias Salik Ram, aged 35
- Victim
- Shyamnath Anchla, a 19-year-old youth
- Incident date
- August 26, 2019
- Arrest
- May 2023, during a joint BSF-DRG search operation
- Sentence
- Life imprisonment
- Convictions
- Charges under the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act
- Acquittal
- UAPA Sections 38(2) and 39(2), due to insufficient evidence of membership or active association with a proscribed Maoist organisation