With the statements of the police on the three encounters that took place in Malkangiri district in Odisha last week and reports and version of the families of the Maoists killed in the encounters being totally different, it is necessary on the part of the Government to conduct a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, people’s organisations demanded here on Monday.
Thirty-two Maoists were killed in three encounters on three days. While the police claimed they had to fire back as the Maoists opened fire on them, family members, friends and relatives alleged that the bodies were disfigured indicating that they had been tortured, they said.
The Government wanted to eliminate Maoists from the Visakha and East Godavari agency area to facilitate exploitation of bauxite and the police had launched a large-scale combing operation to terrorise the Girijans, they said.
The police force should obey the rule of the country, they demanded. Countering the police argument why they would not question the Maoists when they kill ordinary people and police personnel, the people’s organisations wondered why they should react when cases are registered, arrests made and sentences passed after trial.
President of the AP Civil Liberties Committee T. Sreerama Murthy, State general secretary of the Progressive Organisation for Women M. Lakshmi, K. Sudhakar of HRF, K. Nirmala of Arunodaya cultural organisation, S.V. Ramana of Dalita Vimukit, K. Ravi of slum dwellers welfare association, Vimala of Mahila Samakhya, Kumari of AIDWA, representatives of OPDR, IFTU, APTF, DTF, Adivasi Vedika and other organisations were present. The Arunodaya troupe sang songs. Later, a group of representatives submitted a memorandum to the Collector in-charge with their demand.
Much before the demonstration commenced, flex boards in the name of Girijans of Agency appeared in front of the Collectorate criticising the Maoists for allegedly killing innocent Girijans by branding them as informers.
