Delhi backs civilian paramilitaries

London-based rights group Amnesty International on Friday expressed "grave concern about the recent escalation of violence" in the eastern state of Chhatisgarh, where the massacre took place.

The rebels on February 28 blew up a truck carrying people who were taking part in an anti-Maoist campaign called "Salwa Judum" (Purification Campaign).

In an e-mailed statement they said the group had been armed by the government to attack Maoist sympathisers in rural areas.