Alert sounded in 3 Orissa districts for Maoist bandh

An alert was sounded in three southern Orissa districts today in view of tomorrow's bandh call by Maoists in protest against alleged police excess against tribals in the districts.

"We have alerted security forces in vulnerable areas of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts in view of the bandh call given by the Naxalites", DIG (Southern range) RK Sharma said here.

He said additional security forces deployed in Gajapati and Kandhamal districts for the Christmas would remain there till the New Year celebration.

At least 20 platoons of police force have been deployed in Kandhamal and six platoons of Orissa Special Armed Police (OSAP) and two companies of Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) deployed in Gajapati district.

The Maoists gave the shutdown call in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts in protest against the police clampdown and the charge was supported by other Naxal groups.

Claiming in the name of Maoists, police killed several 'innocent' people in southern Orissa districts, Sunil, secretary of CPI (ML), Orissa state committee, gave a list of tribals allegedly being killed by police.

Sunil said Dasarathi Raikia of Rumunda under R Udayagiri police station in Gajapati district was the last person to have been gunned down by CRPF at Atarasingh Square on December 18 last.