KORAPUT:In a late night swoop on Hatibari village in Koraput district on Monday, a group of Maoists killed a sarpanch and set fire to several vehicles. They left behind posters which accused the sarpanch of being a police informer.
According to sources, 30 to 40 Maoist cadres of Srikakulam-Koraput Divisional Committee reached the village under Hatibari panchayat and asked Sarpanch Jagannath Khora to accompany them to the outskirts of the village. Later, Jagannath’s body was found with throat slit. The Maoists also set fire to a jeep, a tractor and a motorcycle besides damaging a car in the village.
In the posters, Maoists accused Jagannath of exploiting tribals of the panchayat. The Red ultras also directed another youth of the village, who is a CRPF jawan, to resign from service or face dire consequences.
Prior to election of Jagannath as the Sarpanch of Hatibari panchayat, his wife was in the same post. The Maoists accused him of misappropriating Government funds that were meant for development projects.
As police could not reach the spot, villagers took the body to Nandapur block headquarters for post-mortem.
The incident comes six months after the Maoists blasted a police vehicle using landmines in the hilly Sunki-Salur road near Koraput’s Pottangi on February 1. Eight security personnel were killed. The ill-fated vehicle was carrying 12 assistant drivers besides the driver. They were on their way to the Police Training College (PTC) at Angul to attend a training programme when the Maoists triggered the blast.
Subsequently, Crime Branch of State Police had arrested hardcore Maoist Madabi Bandi in connection with the blast. Bandi, an explosive expert, was nabbed by a team of the Crime Branch and Koraput Police from Narayanpatna block of the district.
Meanwhile, Koraput SP KV Singh said the Maoists are resorting to violence to create panic among the locals as their movement has been fast losing public support. Police have intensified combing operation in the area.