Ranchi, June 27 (IANS) Maoists have threatened to kill 40 people to take revenge for the death penalty awarded last week to four rebels by a Giridih court, police said Monday.

 
 "Char logo ki phansi ki saja nahi roki gai to 4 ka badla 40 se lenge (if death penalty to four is not changed then we will take revenge by killing 40 people)," say some posters put up in Bokaro district.
 
 The banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M) put up the posters to protest the death penalty awarded to Jitan Marandi, Chhatrapati Mandal, Manoj Rajwar and Anil Ram for killing 19 people at Chilkhari village of Giridih in 2007.
 
 "The posters have been removed. Maoists are using pressure tactics," a police officer told IANS.
 
 Security in Maoist-affected villages of Giridih, Bokaro and other districts has been beefed up.