Koraput: Police arrested five individuals on Sunday for allegedly impersonating Maoists and threatening locals in an extortion racket in Malkangiri district.
The accused, operating in areas under Chitrakonda police limits, reportedly demanded money and warned victims of ‘trial and execution' in a praja court if their demands were not met.
The matter came to light when Bhaktaram Sisa, the naib sarpanch of Badapada panchayat, lodged a complaint at the Chitrakonda police station. "Sisa alleged that the group issued similar threats to him. Acting on the complaint, police initiated an investigation and apprehended all five suspects," said Laxmidhar Swain, DSP Malkangiri.
The arrested individuals are Jagu Hantal, Mano Pangi, M Narayan, Binod Jena, and Umakanta Madhavi. Three hail from Badapada, while the others are residents of Malkangiri. Police recovered a gun, a Maoist letter, and three mobile phones from their possession during the arrest.
"Interrogation revealed that none of the accused have links to Maoists. They terrorised people by posing as Maoists to extort money, taking advantage of the fact that people rarely approach the police against Maoists," Swain said. He added that the group's involvement in similar cases in the district is under investigation.
Police have urged residents to report ransom calls or threats in the name of Maoists to authorities immediately.