After a brief lull, Maoists are once again trying to assert their presence in Balangir district.According to reports, on the eve of the Independence Day, Maoist posters surfaced at Chacherbeng village under the lathor police station on Sunday appealing to people to boycott the Independence Day and observe it as “Black Day”.
In some other posters, two villagers of Kuliamunda have been warned of dire consequences urging them to desist from being working as police informers.Police believe that the appearance of the Maoist posters calling people to observe the Independence Day as “Black Day” is one of the strategies of the Red rebels to reassert their presence.
Security forces had on Saturday carried out a combing operation in Jhalbahal villages in the Gandhamardan area and there was an exchange of fire with the Maoists. However, the ultras managed to flee. A temporary Maoist camp was busted. Police believe that some local people were also involved in setting up of the camp.
“We believe there were around 25 Maoists. The people who have been named as police informers are not such persons. They are not our informers,” said Balangir SP Ashis Singh to this correspondent.