BHUBANESWAR: In yet another attack in the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district, one person was killed and two others were injured when Maoists triggered a landmine blast on Tuesday morning.

The incident took place around 7.30 a.m. near MV 96 village when three staff members of a bus tried to remove a blockade put up by the extremists on the road.

The helper of the bus Kumar Murthy died on the spot. Conductor Bhaskar Khara and another helper Lajra Khara sustained critical injuries.

The passengers escaped the tragedy as the driver stopped the bus some 100 metres before the roadblock. The bus started from village MV 79 and was on its way to Jeypore via Malkangiri town.

As a banner hung on the road covered the route from one side to the other and was at a low height, the three had gone to remove the blockade after the driver stopped the vehicle at a distance.

The extremists triggered the blast apparently when the three victims were removing the bamboo posts to bring down the red banner that had a message with a call to the people to observe a daylong bandh in the district on May 7 to register their protest against "police repression" in the region. The two injured persons were admitted to district headquarters hospital in Malkangiri town.

CRPF `attack' on poet

Meanwhile, the Orissa unit of Lok Shakti Abhiyan protested against the alleged attack by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on the house of poet Dasuram Majhi in Gajapati district. The organisation brought it to the notice of the State Human Rights Commission. Dasuram is poet of Kui, the language used by Kui tribals in south Orissa. On April 16, a group of CRPF personnel raided his house at Guduripanka village of Gajapati district. They were searching for Dasuram. They allegedly ransacked his house in the name of searching it. The policemen were alleged to have beaten up his wife and mother. According to State convener of abhiyan Prafulla Samantara, the police arrested Dasuram in 2003 on the charge of promoting and helping naxalites. But the court acquitted him.

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