Maoists on Monday threatened Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with dire consequences if he attends the Republic Day function in Cuttack tomorrow, official sources said.
In an e-mail sent by one Babuli Behera to the CMO, the rebels demanded immediate release of Subhashree Das alias Mili Panda, wife of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, and asked the chief minister not to attend the R-Day function. "If you deliver speech at Cuttack, this will be the last public adress in your life", a source in the CMO office said quoting the content of the e-mail.
The CPI (Maoist) has given a bandh call tomorrow demanding release of Mili Panda and also for the state government's alleged anti-tribal stand. Top police officers, however, remained tight lipped over the e-mail.
"Fear among ministers is common as the guerrillas are in violent mood. Though we are going to attend the functions in different places, no one knows what will happen tomorrow", a minister told PTI before leaving the state capital to a district headquarter town in southern region. A flight today took three ministers from here and dropped them in Maoist-hit districts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada.
Meanwhile, Panda's wife, who was arrested on January 14 and booked under Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, was today remanded to judicial custody after her bail petition was rejected by the judicial magistrate, first class (JMFC) at Banapur in Khurda district. The woman was produced before the court after her seven-day policy remand expired today.
Mili Panda and her associate Kishore Jena were today lodged at the special jail here, source said. PTI
