Malkangiri: Laying down arms in a bid to join the mainstream of the society has cost Ganga Madkami, a former ultra, his life, a report said.
Maoists gunned down this tribal man of Sudhakonda village under Kalimela block of this district, suspecting him to be a police informer, the police said.
A group of around 20 Maoists stormed into the house and dragged him out late Wednesday night, Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said.
The Red rebels forcibly took Madkami, aged around 30, to a deserted place on the outskirts of the village and shot him dead, he added.
The assailants told the villagers that Madkami was eliminated as he was working as an informer for the police and helping them in anti-naxal operations, the police said.
The SP said the body of the slain villager has been recovered and an investigation was in progress.
Combing operation and patrolling in the area has been intensified by the security forces in the aftermath of the killing, he said.
Meena also made it clear that Madkami was not working as a police informer.
The killing of the tribal comes barely 10 days after a village head, also a tribal, was seriously injured in the district when suspected Maoists shot at him June 11.
According to sources, Madkami was earlier working with the ultras but he left the group and surrendered before the police to lead a peaceful life. He returned to the village about two years back and eked out a living by farming.
The Maoists came to know about his return and brutally killed him. While it is a practice with the ultras to leave posters on the spot, they have not left anything in this case.
However, the left wing extremists threatened the villagers with same consequence if they work for the police, said some villagers.
The incident has triggered panic in the village and left Madkami’s family helpless.
PNN
