Raiboga (Sundargarh): People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a banned splinter Maoist outfit in Jharkhand engaged in criminal extortion, scripted another bloody episode with the killing of a rural businessman Sindhu Sagar Das (26).
According to reports, late on Thursday around 15 armed PLFI members arrived at Majhapada village under Raiboga police limits in Sundargarh district, about 55 km from Rourkela, on Odisha-Jharkhand border. They dragged Sindhu out of his house, beheaded him and severed his body parts at about 1 am.
Through posters left behind, one Barud Gope identifying himself as area commander of PLFI along with Theteitanger unit leader Sanjeet Singh claimed responsibility for the killing. Terming Sindhu as a police informer, they threatened other police informers of similar fate. Locals said Sindhu was asked for a hefty amount as extortion.
Sindhu was married last month and was the brother-in-law of Kuanrmunda block chairperson Sushma Naik and younger brother of local leader Madhu Das. Amid PLFI threat, both Sushma and Madhu had recently shifted to nearby Birmitrapur town.
Four months ago, the PLFI members had reportedly come to bump off Sindhu and not finding him, took away his motorcycle.
Sundargarh SP Dayanidhi Gochchhait and Birmitrapur SDPO PC Routray visited the spot and took stock of the situation.
The SP said police crackdown on the outfit would continue.
After encounter killing of PLFI local area commander Jaidhar Gope and arrest of his aide Santu Badaik on April 25 by Rourkela district police, the killing is considered a desperate attempt of PLFI to re-establish its base in the border pockets of Sundargarh.