India, June 22 -- A tribal family in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Bijapur district has alleged that their sole breadwinner, a mid-day meal cook at a local government school, was killed in a "staged encounter" by security forces- a claim the state police have rejected.

On June 10, security forces said they had killed seven Maoists, including a wanted cadre named Sudhakar, during an operation inside the dense forests of Indravati National Park.Police said that among the bodies later identified was that of Mahesh Kudiyam, a 35-year-old resident of a remote village under the Madded block.

However, Mahesh's family alleged that he had no connection with Maoists and he was a cook at a local school.

Mahesh's widow, Sumitra Kudiyam, said, "My husb...