: A village guard was murdered by Maoists in cold blood at Petru village in Koraput district of Odisha on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Jaga Khilo, a village guard at remote Petru village under Pottangi police station limits.
The Maoists left a handwritten letter near the body of the deceased in which they alleged he was a police informer.
As per the initial investigation, a group of three armed Maoists on Friday reached the house of the village guard. They forcefully dragged him out of the house and slit open his throat.
Speaking to The Hindu , Koraput Superintendent of Police (SP) C.S. Meena said security forces had been rushed to the area for area dominance and tracking of naxalites involved in this murder. As a village guard, Jaga surely had contacts with the police, he added.
“But this unarmed village guard living in a remote village was nothing but a soft target for the Maoists, who owing to frustration of their declining base in Koraput district resorted to this heinous murder as part of their terror tactics,” the SP added.
It was suspected that this murder was the handiwork of Maoist cadres of Srikakulam-Koraput division of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSC) of outlawed CPI (Maoist) organisation.
With the success of anti-Maoist operations, arrest and surrender of several Maoists — the strength of ultras has gone down sharply in Koraput district including the Narayanpatna block in recent times.
It is suspected that Maoists are now trying hard to rebuild their clout of terror, and this recent murder was aimed at panicking the families living in remote areas.
The Maoists left a handwritten letter near the body of the deceased in which they alleged he was a police informer
