Malkangiri: Four persons including tribal leader Sarat Buruda have been arrested while 19 others detained by Malkangiri Police for staging road blockade on NH-326 near Kotameta over the encounter of two persons in Malipadar forest of Koraput district on November 10.
While cops are claiming that the two were Maoists and died during exchange of fire with security personnel, family members of the deceased persons alleged that the encounter was fake.
The deceased persons were Dhana Khamar of Sargiguda village under Malkangiri police limits and Jaya Kumar Nag of Nuagada village under Kosagumuda police limits in Nabarangpur district.
Villagers of Sargiguda and Khamar’s family members had yesterday blocked NH-326 near Kotameta demanding compensation of Rs 30 lakh for his family. They claimed that Khamar was a labourer and was on his way to Kotpad through the forest when he was killed.
They alleged that police planted the weapons recovered from him and branded him as a Maoist. Nag’s family members also claimed that he had no links with the Maoists. Meanwhile, a probe has been initiated into the matter and Khamar’s family has gone to Koraput to bring back his body.
It is pertinent to mention that DIG South-Western Range Pandit Rajesh Uttamrao had earlier confirmed that two Maoists had been gunned down in an exchange of fire with Special Operations Group (SOG) jawans in the Malipadar forested area in Gupteswar panchayat under Boipariguda block of Koraput district on November 10.
