Narayanpatna: A group of 50 armed Maoists Saturday beat a tribal to death in broad daylight in this block of Koraput district suspecting him to be a police informer.
The deceased was identified as Ratunu Pidika (30) of Pedaitiki village under Borigi panchayat. The incident triggered panic across the block.
According to reports, the armed ultras entered Ratunu’s house in the wee hours of Saturday. They dragged him from the house before his wife Rupashree could understand what was going on. The Maoists kept beating him up with lathis till he was taken to one end of the village. They tied his hands and feet and kept thrashing him till he became unconscious, it was learnt.
Ratunu continued to work as a police informer disregarding the warnings of rebels, therefore, he won’t be spared this time, the ultras reportedly told Rupashree when she pleaded with them to leave her husband.
A helpless Rupashree rushed to Ratunu when the Reds left the village, but only to find him dead. Villagers rushed to the spot hearing her scream. The Naxals didn’t leave any posters or letters near the body. It was difficult for police and BSF jawans to reach the spot early as the place is surrounded by forest and hilly terrain.
Preliminary investigation indicated it to be the handiwork of the members of the Srikakulum Mao Division as the members of this organisation are active in the region, local police said. However, an impartial probe would be launched to know whether he had a personal rivalry with anyone, officials added.
Meanwhile, villagers brought the body to Narayanpana and had a post-mortem conducted on it at a hospital. Apart from Rupashree, Ratunu is survived by his second wife and four children.
With this killing, the ultras have made their presence felt again following the surrender of a woman Naxal in Podapodar panchayat a few days ack.
The combing operation was intensified following the incident, a report said. PNN
