Kashipur: After a hiatus, ultras made their presence felt late Friday night in Lakris village of Taljhiri panchayat under this block in Rayagada district by torching nine vehicles kept in the camp of Thakur Builders, a private construction firm.
The vehicles burnt by the rebels included four tractors, two tippers, a water tanker, a JCB and a vibrate roller.
Locals were in a state of panic since such an incident never occurred in the area in the past.
According to reports, nearly 80 armed Maoists first surrounded the camp of the construction firm from all sides at 1.30 am. About 20 workers were sleeping on the premises at that time. Around a dozen of them including three women asked the workers to arrange the vehicles at a place on gun point. Later, the Reds torched the vehicles.
Neither Kashipur police nor BSF jawans got any clue about the operation of the rebels even as the place is just nine km from the block headquarters. The ultras were the members of Banshadhara-Ghumsar-Nagabali Maoists division, some letters left at the scene revealed. The armed Maoists have not harmed any worker here, supervisor Rohit Sahoo said.
Following the incident, SP- Rayagada reached Kashipur and ordered a probe into it.