In the Bolangir district on Monday morning, a number of posters and banners threatening to kill Kantabanji MLA and Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja within 15 days appeared.
Although a man’s picture appears on the banners, it is unclear who he is. The message “I will kill Santosh Singh Saluja within 15 days” was written by an unidentified writer.
All of the banners were taken by Kantabanji police, who also started an investigation to find the culprits.
It is important to note that in 2015, Saluja was attacked in the vicinity of Kantabanji using a sharp object.
The incident happened while the legislator, his cousin Amarjit, and some of his supporters were visiting a property they had bought in Chatuanka village. Although it was assumed that a property dispute was the cause of the attack, this was not formally confirmed.
Saluja had, however, claimed that the attack was the work of the ruling party. He claimed that Ayub Khan, a local BJD MLA from Kantabanji, was responsible for the attack.
Notably, there is a Maoist insurgency in the areas close to Kantabanji, namely Bangomunda, Khaprakhol, and Turekela. That means that a Maoist threat in this instance is also implausible.
The police, however, were not available to comment on this matter.
