Kotagarh: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been formed to look into the killing of five innocent tribals by Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans at Gumudimaha in Kandhamal district July 8 during an anti-insurgency operation, seized the AK-47 rifles, bullets and cartridges used by the jawans in the incident Friday.
Among the seized items are 15 AK-47 rifles, over 40 cartridges and a large number of bullets. On the fifth day of the investigation, the SIT produced all the seized items at the Baliguda court before sending them to the state forensic laboratory in Bhubaneswar amid tight security, it was learnt. Briefing media persons, SIT member Gurudas Kundu said among the seized firearms are some .303 guns and Insas rifles.
Kundu said whether there was an exchange of fire between the security forces and Maoists or it was one-sided fire will be clear only after completion of the investigation.
The SIT also recorded the statements of 20 people, including some family members of the deceased and eyewitnesses in this connection.
It may be noted here that SIT probe was ordered into the incident after opposition parties refuse to buy the claim of SOG jawans that tribals had got inadvertently caught during exchange of fire with Maoists and killed.
Five persons, including three women and an 18-month-old girl, were killed and five others injured in the firing.
The incident had occurred when the civilians, all tribals, were travelling in an auto-rickshaw at Depakepa, about 500 m from Gumudimaha village under Baliguda block and Tumudibandha police limits.
The incident had created uproar in the state. PNN
