MALKANGIRI: In yet another incident of Maoist brutality, a postmaster of Kamalapadar village under Chitrakonda police limits was killed on Wednesday night. Sources said a group of 15 to 20 armed Maoists, including women cadres, reached Kamalapadar village at about 11 pm on Wednesday and barged into the house of postmaster Narayan Palasi (45) and dragged him to an Anganwadi centre before shooting him dead there.
It is also suspected that they later crushed his head with a stone. Palasi’s body was found in a pool of blood by his family members and villagers on the outskirts of Kamalapadar of Paplur panchayat on Thursday morning. Bullet wounds were found on the stomach and his head was crushed. In a handwritten note found near the body and written in Odia, the rebels claimed responsibility for killing Palasi for being a police informer.
The postmaster was ‘eliminated as he was operating as a police informer’. Palasi had received Rs 50,000 as a gift for the surrender of Maoist leader Chinabai in 2017, the note stated. Chinabai was killed by police on June 3, 2017. The note further stated that surrendered Maoist leader Sukdev and Chinabai had joined hands and were operating in the area. During this time, Palasi influenced Chinabai and convinced him to surrender before police.
Palasi is also responsible for the killing of Chinabai, the note reads. “Anyone found assisting police in anti-Naxal operations would be punished in a similar manner”, it added. After the murder, search operations and patrolling by security forces have been intensified in the area. A high alert has also been sounded across the district to prevent possible influx of Maoists from neighbouring Chhattisgarh where security forces gunned down 15 ultras on Monday, police said. On the other hand, speaking to ‘Express,’ SP Jagmohan Meena denied the Maoist charge that Palasi was a police informer.
Whenever rebels kill anybody, they level the same charge on him to cover up their misdeeds, Meena said. Citing reasons behind the brutal murder, Meena said as the support base of Maoists among tribals is fast eroding, they are resorting to mindless violence in the district out of frustration.