Odisha-Telangana Encounter Extra-Judicial: CLC

A probe team led by the Civil Liberties Committee (CLC) of Telangana into the encounter of alleged Maoists in Gumudumaha village in the Kandhamal district of Odisha investigated the scene and interacted with the villagers, and came to the conclusion that it was an extra-judicial killing.

The team's report was released in a press conference by Prof G Lakshman, president; N Narayana Rao, general secretary; and other experts.

"Around 16 villagers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) were travelling to the Balliguda town to collect their wages from a bank. While returning, the rickshaw in which they were travelling was stuck in a mud ditch. While they were attempting to move it, an armed police unit ambushed them, killing five and critically wounding five others. Among the dead were women and children.

"The next day, the officers involved in the encounter sent the dead for post-mortem and the injured to a hospital in Berhampur at 2 pm, and later handed over the bodies to the concerned families," they said.

Judging by the lack of any evidence of gunfire by the victims, they concluded that it was an unprovoked and one-sided firing.

They added, "The Odisha police is targeting innocent tribals in the guise of eliminating Maoists. State terrorism has been unleashed by the police and the paramilitary forces against the tribals to prevent them from extending any help to Maoists."

They also alleged that the police units had been sexually assaulting women and killing children periodically.

The CLC committee said that the assailants should be prosecuted under section 302 of the IPC (homicide) and the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, 1989. In addition, the government should pay an ex-gratia of Rs. 50 lakhs to the kin of each of the deceased, and offer Rs. 25 lacs and free treatment for their injuries to each of the injured, they added.

They demanded the evacuation of police forces from the area and a judicial probe by a judge of the Supreme Court into the incident.