Cops ‘Scared’ To Enter Maoist Victim’s Village In Odisha’s Malkangiri

Malkangiri: The family members of a tribal killed by Maoists in Malkangiri district were forced to retrieve the body and take it for post-mortem themselves because local police were allegedly too scared to enter the area.

The tribal, Dinabandhu Bepari, was gunned down by Maoists at Bihanagudi Chhak near Jodamba village on Sunday for supporting the administration for the construction of a road in the area.

“Though we had informed the police and district administration about the incident, neither of them took any steps to recover the body. Later, we found the body after three days and took it on a bike to Hantalaguda which is about 18 km from our village. From Hantalaguda, we arranged a pick-up van and took the body to the district headquarters hospital for post mortem,” a family member told the media on Wednesday.

“The police said they could not come to the village due to Maoist threat. If the police are scared themselves then who will provide security to the people of our village? We have lost faith in the police,” he added.

There was no response from the police or the district administration on this matter till the report was being filed.