Maoists step up violence in West Midnapore and Orissa - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Suspected Maoist rebels on Sunday killed a former village head in Bhutashole village of West Midnapore district. Anil Mahato, who was a member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, became the latest victim in the district hit by Maoist violence. Asoke Mahato, a kin of Anil Mahato, found him injured at a nearby school and called police. "We called up the local Salbani police station...they asked us to bring him to the hospital...He had not been in his house for many days...When he came to his house and was taking rest then the attack took place," said Asoke Mahato. Meanwhile, in Orissa, Maoist rebels killed a tribal, suspecting him to be a police informer. About 40 Maoists attacked the Rebana village in Keonjhar district on Sunday and killed Sunaram Tudu. The rebels also beat up two others, threatening them not to cooperate with the police. "We received the message about the killing in Rebana village. The Special Operation Group and police force in four groups are heading for the spot. We will be carrying out combing operations and investigations in the area too," said Prashant Mohapatra, sub-divisional police officer of Ghatgaon area. Last month, suspected Maoists held the Rajdhani express train, which was freed by security forces after a five-hour hostage drama. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described Maoists as the biggest internal security challenge since independence, which began four decades ago championing the cause of poor peasants in the east, but has now spread to about 20 of India's 29 states. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the government was willing to talk to the Maoists about issues such as poverty and corruption that are often blamed for stoking the insurgency, but insisted the rebels must first stop violence.