Maoists threaten to kill NSS leaders; call locals to join ranks

SOME OF THE POSTERS ALSO ANNOUNCED TO REWARD VILLAGERS FOR SHARING INFORMATION OF POLICE ACTIVITIES AND SPOS WHOM THEY CALLED POLICE INFORMERS

JAMSHEDPUR: Maoists on Thursday threatened to kill Nagarik Suraksha Samiti (NSS) leaders Shankar Chandra Hembram and Shailendra Baske branding them as agents of police by pasting posters and pamphlets under Gurabanhda and Mosaboni police stations in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, police said on Friday.

“The Maoists have been threatening the village heads to send youths to join their forces. We are focussing on providing job opportunities to the locals in coordination with the civil administration,” MV Rao, Jharkhand director general of police (DGP), said on Friday.

Motorcycle-borne Maoists had made a failed attempt to kill Shankar Chandra Hembram on January 5, 2009, a day after they had shot dead the then NSS general secretary Dhanai Kisku.

They had followed it up by killing another NSS leader, Krishna Chandra Hembram in Dimaroa on March 4, 2009. Shailendra Baske had survived five bullet injuries.

The Maoist posters splashed in villages under Gurabandha and Mosaboni police stations also threatened to behead special police officers (SPOs) in Jana Adalat (Kangaroo Courts), accusing them of being police informers. Last week, they had shot dead SPO Dewan Munda in Ranchi.

Some of the posters also announced to reward villagers for sharing information of police activities and SPOs whom they called police informers.

On June 24 this year, West Singhbhum police had seized Maoist hand-written letters and computerized pamphlets to the village heads under Tonto police station in West Singhbhum district. These letters and posters requisitioned 10 boys and 10 girls from every village in the district, police said.