Probe Begins Into Police-Maoists Firing That Killed 5 in Kandhamal

While police claimed civilians were caught in a crossfire, survivors have a different story to tell.

Villagers carrying dead bodies after five people were killed in a cross firing in Odisha. (Photo Courtesy: YouTube screengrab)

A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killing of five persons in Kandhamal district, Odisha Police on Tuesday rushed its Director of Intelligence to the spot.

Calling the recent killing of five persons during an anti-Maoist operation in Kandhamal “most unfortunate”, Patnaik had directed an SIT of the State Human Rights Protection Cell to look into the matter.

If anyone is found to be of negligent conduct after probe, we shall take stringent action. My government is always concerned for the ST, SC and the deprived sections of the society.

Naveen Patnaik

Five villagers were killed and seven injured in what police claimed was a crossfire between police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) and Maoists in Kandhamal district in southern Odisha on Friday, 8 July.

The deceased were identified as former Naib Sarpanch Kukal Digal, Bimbuli Mallick, Krimeli Mallick, Midialie Mallick and two-year-old Gheheja Digal.

Survivors Deny Claims of a Crossfire

Director general of police KB Singh said the incident took place after a 15-member team of the SOG (the state’s anti-Maoist force) received information that rebels in the area were moving forward. They fired at the security personnel who fired back in retaliation. According to his narrative, an autorickshaw came in the cross firing, killing and injuring those inside it.

Although the police claimed that civilians were caught in the exchange of fire, survivors raised questions over the police’s version of events.

If there was crossfire, why were 21 bullet marks found only on one side of the autorickshaw? When the 16 people squeezed into that autorickshaw got down to push the vehicle out of the slush a few minutes earlier, there was no crossfire. The police are lying.

A villager told <i>The Indian Express</i>

Bibi Mallick who lost his wife in the cross firing, said that they were returning after withdrawing money from their National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NRGS) bank account when the incident took place.

We had two 50 kg sacks of rice with us, too. We managed to push the autorickshaw out of the mud. But as soon as we got into the auto, there was a hail of gunshots from the left. Before I could realise what had happened, my daughter and I fell off the vehicle. A few minutes later, there were no more gunshots. I found my daughter standing on the road, crying and looking for my wife. I was so scared, I took her to the village first and returned with other villagers. I found my wife lying dead in the drain.

Bibi Mallick to <i>The Indian Express</i>

Reports of the killings triggered a political storm with politicians and human rights activists demanding a probe into the matter. The BJP declared a bandh in Kandhamal on Monday.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram accused Odisha’s BJD government of being “against Adivasis” and announced a separate probe by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

They state government announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.

(With inputs from The Indian Express, The Times of India and The New Indian Express.)