By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Maoists in Orissa have threatened to kill a top district police official for allegedly arresting innocent people after branding them as rebels, an official said Monday.
The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) said in a press release that its rebels would kill some police officials posted in Rayagada district, including the District Superintendent of Police Ashish Kumar Singh.
The four-page release was sent Sunday to mediapersons at the district headquarter of Rayagada, nearly 400 km from here.
The note was allegedly sent by Dona Kesaba Rao alias Azad, who claims to be the Maoist commander of the Vansadhara division that operates in the region.
The police, however, brushed aside the threat as routine.
“They are frustrated after we arrested more than 27 Maoists, including a commander of their division, in the past two months. Besides some Maoists, including a commander, have also surrendered before the police during that period,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Sanjeeb Panda told IANS.
Panda said all police officials working in areas where Maoists are active face such threats. Maoists are active in more than half of Orissa’s 30 districts.