‘Maoist link can’t be ruled out in cops murder case’

Chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik said that no posters, flags or literature was found at the site where two policemen ~ Murali Bastia and Baribandhu Mohanta ~ were killed in Keonjhar district yesterday but the possible involvement of Maoists cannot be ruled out.
"Investigations are on and combing operations have been launched by the district police and the Special Operations Group," he said.
Providing details of the incident, Mr Patnaik told the Assembly today that the Daitari police station received information of Bastia and Mohanta lying injured near Tinkulia, six Km from Brahmanipal police beat house along the Paradip-Daitari Express Highway.
Preliminary investigations had revealed that Bastia had suffered a gun shot would and also injuries caused by sharp weapons. Mohanta had also sustained injuries caused by a blunt object and one empty bullet case was recovered from the spot. The two were taken to the hospital where they were declared dead.
The cold blooded murder of two unarmed security personnel deserves the highest degree of condemnation, said the CM while expressing his condolences to the bereaved families.
He announced that the next of kin of Bastia will receive special family pension, one family member will also be given a government job while the next of kind of Mohanta will receive ex-gratia as per rules and one of his family members will be engaged as a home guard.
Earlier during the day Congress members raised the issue in the Assembly and demanded a statement from the CM.
Congress leader Mr Santosh Singh Saluja decried the Maoist attacks on policemen and said the increase in number of such incidents is because of the lack of policy and direction from the government. "The Maoists are observing Martyrs' week from 28 July and they had carried out three attacks in three days," he said while seeking details on what steps taken by the government in view of the Martyrs' week.
Parliamentary affairs minister Mr Raghunath Mohanty had assured the members that the chief minister will make a statement on yesterdays incident. He, however, pointed out that the Maoist issue had already been discussed in the House.