Rayagada (Orissa): About fifty armed Maoists attacked a village and killed four people in Orissa's Rayagada district on Wednesday night, according to a late report. Pandratola village is about 350 kilometers from state capital Bhubaneswar. Two other people were injured and were admitted to hospital, out of which one died. Reports
say the Maoists killed these people on suspicion that they were police informers and exploiters of tribals. "Around 50 Maoists came here last night and knocked
our door. I ran away as I smelled danger. They dragged my brother outside and
killed him there," said Satyay Kondagiri, brother of a slain victim. Maoists had
also pasted posters at several areas in the villages stating their opposition
to appointment of village youth as the Special Police Officer in the state police
to take on Maoists. Reports said that the killings were a retaliation to the recent
police action against Maoists in the state. Home Minister P. Chidambaram said
the government was willing to talk to the Maoists about issues such as poverty
and corruption that are often blamed for stoking the insurgency, but insisted
the rebels must first stop violence.
