MALKANGIRI :At least eight members of a family of Palem in the cut-off area of Malkangiri district have fled their village following Maoist threat. The incident had taken place on Wednesday last but came to fore on Monday when the family members informed the Collector about it.Last week, a group of 20 Maoist militia members went to Kamlu Khilla’s house under Chitrakonda police limits and asked him to leave the village with eight of his family members as per the decision taken in a praja court. The praja court had alleged that Kamlu’s brother was working as a home guard and provided information about Maoist activities to police. Fearing Maoist backlash, Kamlu and his family members including children had to leave the village on Wednesday.
With the help of police, they settled at a makeshift structure behind the Chitrakonda police station. This is also where other people who had to leave their villages following Maoist dikat have settled.
The harassed family members met Collector K Sudarshan Chakraborty at his grievance cell in Chitrakonda on Monday and sought his intervention. The Collector assured to settle them at a suitable place after getting a detailed report on the matter from police.
SP, Jagmohan Meena refuted the Maoist allegation and said no member of Kamlu’s family is working as a home guard. Rather, the younger brother of Kamlu is working in a private firm in Benguluru, he added. Earlier this month, a woman of Jantri village in Chitrakonda block had to leave the village following Maoist diktat. China Pangi (42) was also threatened with death punishment for disobeying their order. The Maoists held a praja court where they alleged that China’s son, who works in Andhra Pradesh, is passing information to the police about the movement of Maoists in cut-off areas of Malkangiri district.
Following this, four to five Maoist militia members went to the house of China and asked her to leave the village at the earliest without informing anyone about the decision of the praja court. Prior to that, former Samiti member Rama Chandra Sisa and his wife of Muraliguda village under Poplur panchayat under Kalimela block fled the village as the Maoists asked them to do so.