Post news network
Bhawanipatna: In a case of mistaken identity, three persons were killed after being allegedly caught in a cross-fire during an exchange of fire between security forces and Maoists at Nishanguda forest in Jugasaipatna, about 13 km from here in Kalahandi district Sunday, police said.
Victims were identified as Jay Majhi (50), a ward member of Jugasaipatna gram panchayat, Harishankar Naik of Uppar Panchkula village and Shukru Majhi of Nishanguda village.
The injured persons were identified as Arjun Majhi (18) of Uppar Panchkula village and Ichhu Majhi (19) of Nishanguda village. The incident has triggered wide-spread outrage in the area.
Arjun said the incident occurred when they had gone inside the reserve forest along with the three deceased persons in search of their missing goats.
Villagers and injured youths claimed that the jawans suspected them to be Maoists and gunned down three of them while leaving the two injured. The duo escaped by a whisker after they hid themselves under a bush.
However, one bullet hit Arjun’s face and Icchu’s back leaving them injured. They somehow managed to run back to their village and informed the villagers who ruahed them to the Bhawanipatna headquarters hospital.
The villagers claimed that when they reached the spot they could not find the bodies and they suspected that the jawans might have taken them.
The incident took place during a joint combing operation by jawans of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), district voluntary force (DVF) in Nishanguda reserve forest under Karlapat sanctuary, superintendent of police Brijesh Kumar Rai said.
Three crude country-made firearms, live bullets, a tiffin bomb and bomb making materials were also recovered from the site near the bodies of the three persons, who were unfortunately caught in the cross fire, the SP said.
Investigation into the incident was in progress, he said.