Villagers of Tangapalli in Odupa gram panchayat under Malkangiri Sadar block detained 16 persons out of the 40 persons who attacked their village posing as Maoists late on Monday night. According to reports, the villagers confined the detainees, including two women, in a school building. Police were yet to reach the village.
The villagers have alleged that these men knocked on the doors of Nyayab Sarpanch Bhagaban Padiami late on Monday night. Identifying themselves as Maoists, they asked villagers for chicken and goats. When the villagers refused to give, a scuffle erupted among them in which some villagers sustained injuries. However, villagers managed to grab 16 of them and seized several weapons like axes, pick axes and wood chopping tools from them. On the other hand, the detainees said they have no links with the Red rebels and had come to Tangapali in search of some of their co-villagers.
“Around 45 people knocked on my door and greeted me with ‘lal Salaam’. When I told them that I was innocent about ‘lal Salaam’, they soon claimed themselves as Maoists and asked for goats, cows and chicken. Soon my brother came there and I managed to give them a slip. I went to the Sarapanch and brought him along with other villagers to the spot. A scuffle erupted there in which a villager in which a villager sustained injuries. But we managed to grab 16 of them,” said Nyayab Sarapanch Padiami. Meanwhile, one of the detainees, Deba Madkami, said that they had come in search of their sister. They politely asked Paiami if knew whereabouts of the girl. They did not utter ‘lal Salam, Madkami said.