In an act of throwing down the gauntlet, hundreds of Red Rebels assembled at Sukma of Chhatisgarh, near the border of Malkangiri on Saturday.
According to a report, the large congregation of the Maoists had some top cadre leaders. They took out a rally carrying firearms, dancing to the beats of the drums. The rally culminated at Etraj hill in the district.
It is learnt that the assembly was called to oppose the alleged torture meted out to tribals.
On the other hand, the Naxals unleashed a terror in Rabdipara jungle of Sukma on Friday. They shot dead the sarpanch of Pongabheji panchayat. The deceased was identified as Punem Santra.
Also in Nabarangpur, Odisha, the Maoists allegedly shot dead a man on Friday night as a punishment for destroying forests by cutting down trees. The deceased has been identified as Narayan Nagesh of Laxmipur village.
According to a source, a group of rebels took Nagesh out of his home and later killed him by firing at him. In a poster, the Mainpur-Nuapada Division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) mentioned that Nagesh along with some forest department officials was involved in cutting down trees and creating land for rehabilitating people.
Since 2010, Nagesh was involved in such activities and he has been punished for the crime, the poster read.
The Red Rebels also issued threats to some other family members of the deceased.