Late Monday night, miscreants set fire to a contractor’s godown at Chatamahul on Rupra Road under Narla police limits in Kalahandi district, Odisha, causing panic in the area. Fire services rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control, with no injuries reported.
During an initial inspection, several posters were found inside the godown bearing Maoist symbols and threatening the contractor’s family and workers. Four posters were recovered, with one claiming that a worker named Kartik would be killed within 48 hours and warning that other godowns owned by the contractor could be set ablaze within the year.
Earlier, a Maoist-style poster had been discovered in the contractor’s vehicle, demanding Rs 37 lakh and threatening his family. Police investigations later revealed that the godown owner’s son was allegedly involved in issuing the threats. He had been sent to jail in connection with the case and was released on bail about a month ago.
Locals alerted the police and the contractor’s family after noticing the fire, prompting deployment of two fire brigade teams. The godown, which stored materials for tube well digging, including pipes, tanks, and old vehicles, suffered significant damage. The owner, Dinesh Agarwal, was away due to a relative’s medical emergency.
Kalahandi Superintendent of Police Nagaraj Devarakonda clarified that the incident has no connection with Maoists, stating that the threatening posters were fake.
