Ever since the Ramaguda exchange of fire, the tribal people are caught between the Maoists and security forces, and fringe elements are reaping the benefits.
Every time the Maoists are hit by the security forces, the villagers bear the brunt of their wrath. They hold the villagers responsible and blame them for passing on information to the security forces.
And this is the time that the militia members and Maoist sympathisers take advantage of, said DIG, Visakhapatnam (Range) Ch. Srikanth.
According to Mr. Rahul Dev Sharma, SP, Visakhapatnam, every village in the agency area, be it AP or Odisha, has Maoist sympathisers and some of them arouse suspicion in the minds of the Maoists to settle their private scores. The Maoists rely on the sympathisers and seek information from them and it is observed that the sympathisers have got many innocent villagers executed for their vested interests, which could be land grabbing or lust for women, said Mr. Srikanth. These villages are caught in the cross-fire between the Maoists and the police, and in the aftermath of an encounter fear stalks the villages. Innocent blood is spilt.