5 Maoists held for killing villager in Odisha

Five Maoists were arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the killing of a tribal farmer in Malkangiri district five days ago, police said.

The five Maoists were nabbed and some sharp-edged weapons used in the murder were seized from them by the operational teams while patrolling in a forest in Mathili area, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malkangiri, Jagmohan Meena, said.

The police had launched multiple anti-Maoist operations in Mathili area to apprehended the Maoists after Anantaram Bhumia, a resident of Barubeda village was killed on October 23 night, the SP said.

Bhumia was killed on suspicion of being a police informer, he said.

The identity of the arrested Maoists was not being revealed now since a test identification parade would be conducted by the police, the SP said.

Investigations are on to ascertain involvement of the arrested Maoists in other incidents of crime, the police officer said.

Bhumia was intercepted by the Maoists while he was returning home after watching a 'Jatra' at a nearby village on Tuesday night.

The Maoists forcibly took him away from the village and slit his throat.

His body was spotted by villagers on Wednesday morning, the SP said.