Contractor shot dead in Malkangiri

=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by koraputonline ( koraputonline@gmail.com )
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2010/05/01/stories/2010050151750300.htm)
Other States
-
Orissa
  

Contractor shot dead in Malkangiri


Staff Reporter



Naxals resorted to this act on the last day of their week-long bandh in south Orissa



Maoists left two handwritten posters at the spotThey alleged that Ray was a police informer


BERHAMPUR: Maoists shot dead a road contractor in broad daylight in Malkangiri district of south Orissa on Friday.
The victim was alleged to be a police informer. Naxals resorted to this act on the last day of their week-long bandh call in south Orissa against the ‘Operation Greenhunt'. The incident occurred at MV-69 village under Kalimela police station at around 10 a.m. The victim was Chitta Ray, a construction contractor. He was shot dead in front of his son and labourers.
According to sources around 15 armed naxals, who were mostly dressed in plain clothes reached the village and searched for Ray. He was located near the construction site of a road near the village. He was monitoring the construction of road undertaken under the rural development project. Around 20 labourers were working at the spot. They were threatened not to oppose. The Maoists overpowered the opposition of Ray's son Chandan. Ray was dragged away and shot dead from close range. Bullets pierced his head and abdomen. To make the killing more gruesome, the naxals also smashed the head of the victim with a shovel from the construction site.
Maoists left two handwritten posters at the spot, through which they alleged that Ray was a police informer and locals had complained to Maoists about it. This killing came a day after Maoists killed a forester in Nuapada district of the State. Malkangiri SP Aniruddha Singh said extra security forces had been sent to the area.
The incident occurred at a distance of around four kilometers from the Kalimela police station, where at present the Border Security Forces (BSF) personnel are camping. In a way it was a direct challenge of the Maoists to the proposed joint operation against them in the area. Through this murder they also created panic in the minds of people living in remote areas who have links with police and administration.
They also continued their act of terrorisation of contractors involved in road construction work in remote naxal infested areas of Malkangiri district which also borders Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh and naxal infested areas of Andhra Pradesh. In the past several contractors involved in road construction in the district and their machineries have fallen prey to Maoist violence.
The recent week-long economic blockade by Maoists in south Orissa proved that they now have the power to paralyse life in districts of south Orissa at any time. Vehicular movement was almost stopped in south Orissa in the wake of the bandh call from April 24.
This bandh call was against the paramilitary force mobilisation for a proposed special joint anti-Maoist operation in south Orissa. Despite the presence of BSF and Special Operation Group of Orissa Police, the security personnel could not clear up blockades put by Maoists in Koraput and Malkangiri districts. Most areas of Malkangiri district remained cut off from outside world due to threat of Maoists and their road blockades.






Copyright: 1995 - 2006 The Hindu
Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of The Hindu