MALKANGIRI: Days after left-wing extremists gunned down two persons, a middle-aged man was killed by Maoists in the cut-off region of Malkangiri district in the wee hours of Sunday.
The latest victim has been identified as Sitaram Khilla of Nua Tekpadar village under Ralegada panchayat. Sources said, accompanied by some local tribal supporters, about 15-20 armed rebels barged into the house of Khilla on the other side of vast Chitrakonda reservoir at about 2 am.
The Maoists dragged Khilla at gunpoint and took him to an isolated place on the outskirt of the village where they produced him in a praja court. They branded him as a police informer and as per the direction of praja court they killed him by slitting his throat, the sources said.
The brutal killing came a day after left-wing extremists gunned down two persons at a village near Malkangiri border. The red rebels had picked Kalakani Surya and Mukla Kishore from their houses in Madegare village neighbouring Visakhapatnam and shot them dead in front of other villagers on Friday.
The victim’s family sources said Khilla was on the hit list of the Maoists since long. They were keeping a track on him and his activities for which he was not feeling safe to move out of the house.
The Maoists, after killing Khilla, reportedly shouted slogans against security forces and warned villagers of dire consequences if they informed their activities to the forces. They later fled the scene leaving behind a hand-written poster.
Meanwhile, paramilitary forces, District Voluntary Force (DVF) and jawans of Special Operation Groups (SOGs) have intensified the combing operation in the area. “The series of recent Maoist violent activities revealed that the red rebels are trying to strengthen their eroding support base in the cut off region,” said a police official.