BHAWANIPATNA: A couple of Maoist posters appealing to the villagers not to become police informers was found at Lakhbahali near Pahadpadar village under Lanjigarh block of Kalahandi district on Thursday. The Maoists have also appealed to the locals to observe ‘Sahid Divas’ on Thursday.
After murder of a civilian in Karlapat on March 18 by a group of armed Maoists, the appearance of the banners in Lakhbahali has created panic among the villagers. In one of the posters issued by CPI(Maoist) Bansadhara, Ghumsar, Nagavalli divisional committee, they have demanded political prisoner status to the arrested red rebels.In the posters, the Maoists asked the villagers not to be lured by money and warned police informers of facing punishment like the one given to Banamali Naik of Karlapat. People, who are working as police informers, should desist from doing so, the posters stated.
Sources said Maoists had killed one of the three persons, whom they had kidnapped from Karlapat village on March 15. Banamali’s body was found on the outskirts of the village. In a leaflet found near the body, the CPI (Maoist) claimed responsibility for the killing. The two other abducted villagers were severely assaulted before being released by the Red rebels.
Kalahandi SP Brijesh Rai said except for a few posters, there is no law and order problem in the district. Police have been keeping a strict vigil in the sensitive areas, he added.