Suspecting them of being informers, Maoists abduct 3 tribals in Odisha; kill 1

Police officials in Malkangiri said the body of Guja Kabasi, a tribal villager from Kukurkunda village under Mathili police station area of the district was found today. His throat was found slit with a sharp weapon.

Suspected Maoists in Malkangiri district killed a tribal villager in a praja court and thrashed two others after abducting them late on Thursday night over allegations that they were police informers.

In April this year, Maoists had killed two villagers in Kandhamal and Bolangir district accusing them of being police informers. (Image used for representational purpose).(AFP PHOTO.)

Police officials in Malkangiri said the body of Guja Kabasi, a tribal villager from Kukurkunda village under Mathili police station area of the district was found today. His throat was found slit with a sharp weapon.

“On Thursday, Kabasi along with Onga Kalamala and Soma Sodhi of Kukurkunda village were abducted after a group of armed Maoists raided their village and accused them of working for the police,” said Malkangiri SP Jagmohan Meena. At the praja court, they were thrashed after which Kalamala and Sodhi were released.

In April this year, Maoists had killed two villagers in Kandhamal and Bolangir district accusing them of being police informers.

The abduction and killing of the tribal villager came on the day hundreds of villagers in Khairaput area of Malkangiri district held a public gathering demanding implementation of developmental schemes as well as setting up a gram panchayat office near their area defying the diktat of the Maoists.

Senior police officials in-charge of anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, said that there is a sort of desperation on the part of Maoists after five hardcore Naxals were killed in Koraput district in a single operation. Besides, many Maoist cadres have surrendered and a good number of quality weapons recovered. As the general elections in Malkangiri and Koraput were conducted peacefully in April despite poll boycott campaigns by Maoists, the rebels are feeling cornered.

“The areas of influence of Maoists have shrunk and there is progressive decline in the intensity of violence. There has been consolidation in operational successes. There is also progressive decline in the strength of armed underground cadres operating in the state,” said a senior police official.