Nuapada: Maoist posters demanding release of those who are in jail were found in many villages in the district on Monday.

The posters were found pasted on the walls of villagers' houses and trees and houses in Nilji and Karlakhamar villages in Sinapali police station area and Jujghat and Chikal Chuan villages in Boden police limits.

The Maoists also felled trees and staged a road blockade in protest against alleged police atrocities in these villages on Monday.

Sources in the administration said that the posters, put up by the Menpur-Nuapada divisional committee of CPI (Maoist), demanded immediate release of three persons - Sumitra Dharua, Yusuf Mohammed and Makarand Paharia who are now in jail. The posters said that the police were unnecessarily harassing these people who had got nothing to do with the Maoist organisations.

"The police is unnecessarily harassing these innocent people by implicating them with false cases. They have no relation with the Maoists organisations," read a poster.

The police have confirmed the spotting of Maoist posters in the district. "We have spotted Maoist posters and are conducting a probe," said inspector in charge of Sinapali police station Jyoti Ranjan Gouda. Dharua, 19, had allegedly surrendered before the Nuapada police earlier last week. Mohammed, who is believed to be an aide of the Maoists, was arrested from his village Khadupani in Boden police limits recently.

In another development, a youth was electrocuted to death on Monday morning when he came in contact with high-voltage live wire which had fallen on the ground due to tree felling by the Maoists. The deceased has been identified as Sahadev Sa of Chatiguda village in Sinaplai police station area.