Faux Maoist Threats Spark Fear in Odisha's Kalahandi District

In Odisha's Kalahandi district, miscreants torched vehicles belonging to a local contractor and posted fake Maoist threats. The police suspect local involvement, dismissing the authenticity of the Maoist link. Investigations are underway, focusing on a past family-related incident involving the same contractor.

In a startling incident that has put Kalahandi district on edge, unidentified miscreants set ablaze three vehicles owned by a local contractor while planting fake Maoist posters. The forged documents, which were discovered on Monday night, threatened violence unless a hefty sum of Rs 35 lakh was paid.

The local police, on examining the scene and documents, noted discrepancies in the language and tactics typically associated with Maoist activity, concluding that the threats were not genuine. 'Fake Maoist posters were used to instigate fear and derail our investigation,' informed Kalahandi SP Nagaraj Devarakonda.

This is not the first disturbance involving the contractor, as a family member was previously involved in a similar case last year. Authorities are intensifying their probe to uncover those behind the latest criminal act.

(With inputs from agencies.)