‘Maoists ambushed while having food’

The 30 Maoists who were on Monday morning killed in the much claimed exchange of fire with the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police at Bhejangiwada jungle in Odisha’s Malkangiri district were actually ambushed while they were having food.

According to residents of Panasput, the rebels had arrived at the village on Sunday night and forcibly

seven Maoists to their family members who had come from Andhra Pradesh. Among others, the bodies of the slain rebels handed over to their family members included that of Munna, son of Maoist Central Committee member Ramakrishna alias RK.

Ramakrishna’s wife Sirisha aka Padma received the body of Munna.

Reports said family members of the other deceased whose bodies are lying in took away six villagers with them to cook food for them.

“While the villagers were cooking food on the outskirts of the village, the rebels took rest on the top of nearby densely forested hill. In the morning, they came down the hill to have their food. No sooner did they start eating the food prepared for them, they were ambushed by the police,” the villagers told a group of TV reporters who reached the village.

the district hospital mortuary have arrived in Malkangiri. They will be handed over the bodies after completion of all formalities. No reports were available on the number of bodies of the slain ultras handed over to their family members and relatives on Thursday. Despite repeated attempts, Malkangiri and Visakhapatna SPs could not be reached as their mobile phones remained switched off.