Koraput has witnessed a series of subversive activities in the recent past

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 7: In a late night raid, Maoists attacked two traders, killing one of them and leaving the other grievously injured at Balipeta village in the Narayanpatna area of Koraput district, around 500 km from here.

Sources said Sarat Subuddhi, who ran a small business in the village, bled to death after the group of around 20 rebels dragged him out of his house and slit his throat well past 10pm yesterday.

They also attacked another trader, Upendra Pandu with sharp weapons, but he survived as he was rushed to a hospital in Koraput immediately. His condition is stated to be critical.

Sources said the rebels had targeted the traders as they were allegedly engaged in illegal liquor trade and also worked as police informers. This is the third incident of Maoist violence in the district in the last one month.

Last month the radicals had killed two persons at Kumbhariput village and torched two road rollers and some tractors belonging to a contractor executing a road project in the district.

Sources said the Maoists, who raided Balipeta, left behind posters condemning Subuddhi and Pandu’s involvement in the liquor trade.

The posters described them as enemies of tribals and also dubbed them as police informers. The Srikakulam-Koraput division of CPI(Maoist) led by Daya is said to have claimed responsibility for the incident. Director general of police Prakash Mishra asserted in Bhubaneswar that operation against the rebels would be intensified and violence brought under control.

Speaking on the sidelines of a passing out parade for sub-inspectors at the state police academy, Mishra lauded the efforts of police in combating rebel violence, specially in Malkangiri district.

On Monday, the DGP took part in the meeting of the Unified Command to chalk out a strategy against the Maoists.

At present, eight companies of the CRPF and five of the BSF, along with the state police, are engaged in anti-Maoist operations in different parts of the state.

Nearly 17 of the state’s 30 districts have been witnessing Maoist activity but the situation is grave in Koraput and Malkangiri, where the rebels have stepped up violence in a bid to re-establish their authority following cadre depletion in the wake of encounter killings and surrenders.

In retaliatory action, the Maoists have killed at least four persons, including a contractor and two panchayat ward members in Malkangiri district in the last one month.

They also triggered a blast damaging a portion of a river bridge that was a vital link between Kalimela and Padia areas of the district.