Maoists warn villagers against mobile phone use in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Panic has gripped the Swabhiman area of Odisha's Malkangiri district after Maoists threatened the locals not to use mobile phones.

The Maoists warned the residents of Orapadar village under Andrapalli panchayat against using mobile phones.

The left-wing extremists issued the warning in a written message on a roadside board at the village, said sources on Thursday.

They have asked not to use mobile phones in this village and make a phone call without permission.

"Whoever makes a call shall be responsible for his action," the Maoists wrote in Odia in a signboard near the village.

The message said that any villager found using a mobile phone will be punished by the Praja court.

Sources said that the Maoists are stopping the locals from informing police about their presence and movement.