Sarpanch released on condition to quit post
Maoists killed two of the three persons they had abducted from the Pottangi police limits on Saturday night and released the third one, a Sarpanch, on Monday.The Sarpanch said the Maoists released him on a condition that he must resign from his post.
Sources said a group of armed Maoists had on Saturday night come to Talaguluru village under the Pottangi police station in Koraput district on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, 40-km from the district headquarters here and abducted Sarpanch Balataboi Patti, his brother Balataboi Simalu and former Sarpanch Pitidi Taidu.
Sources said Simalu was working as a contractor and executing various Government works ignoring Maoists’ warnings. Some Red rebels had earlier warned him against taking up the contract work.
They had also burnt a tractor and four bikes belonging to the Sarpanch and left some banners and posters on the spot asking Home Guards and SPOs to quit jobs.
Maoists killed the two on the plea that they were police informers. The bodies were yet to be traced. The incident has reportedly left villagers in a state of panic. However, SW Range IG Jaswant Jathwa said combing operation has been intensified in the area.