Malkangiri: Cops bury bodies of slain Naxals

The Odisha police on Saturday began burying of unclaimed Maoist bodies at Malkangiri. As many as 12 bodies were buried as their family members and relatives turned up to receive their bodies.

Reports said of the 28 bodies brought to Makangiri after the October 24 encounter at Bhejing forest under Panasput gram panchayat, 14 were handed over to their family members by Friday.

The police was waiting for family members of two other slain ultras to arrive at Malkangiri from Andhra Pradesh to receive their bodies while 12 bodies were buried here in the evening.

“We have so far handed over 14 bodies to their relatives. Families of two more ultras are coming to Malkangiri today. The remaining bodies are being buried today,” Malkangiri superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra told this newspaper. Meanwhile, protesting the anti-Maoist operation near the Andhra-Odisha border in which 30 Maoists were killed, the red rebels have called for bandh in five states, including Odisha, on November 3. The CPI (Maoist) Central Committee has given the bandh call in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. Notably, CPI (Maoist) East Division Committee secretary Kailash had on Friday released an audio tape holding the chief ministers of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh responsible for the encounter. It may be recalled here that 28 Maoists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces which also left a Greyhounds commando dead in the cut-off areas of Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district.

Two more Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces at Panasput forest in Malkangiri on October 27.