Niyamgiri fake encounter case: Fact-finding team visits Dangamati

Odisha Sun Times BureauKalyansinghpur, Jun 19:A fact-finding team led by former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Justice B G Kolse Patil Saturday visited Dangamati village under Kalyansinghpur block in Odisha's Rayagada district to conduct an inquiry into the alleged fake encounter of a Dongria Kondh youth of Niyamgiri Manda Kadraka by the police.

Pic courtesy: yuvabharat.wordpress.com

The team during its visit to Dangamati village inquired from the locals about the alleged killing of Kadraka by the police.

"Manda Kadraka has been murdered. This is most unfortunate. We condemn this barbaric action of the police," said the fact-finding team after visiting Dangamati and talking to villagers.

Notably, security forces on February 27 this year had claimed that a suspected Maoist, Manda Kadraka (20), was killed in an encounter in the Dangamati forests.

However, Drika Kadraka had claimed that he and his brother had gone to collect salapa to the hill near their village early on February 27 morning and while they were on their way home, a team of armed police came to them.

Seeing them, he ran away from the area but his brother could not run and the police later took him away, Drika had said. Later he claimed to have heard gunshots and hiding in the forest saw the policemen returning from the area with a dead body and some books with them.

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Family members came to know about Manda's death from reports published in the media of a Maoist succumbing to police bullets. They could identify him to be Manda from the photograph published along with the report.

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Deceased Manda's family members had complained to the police that Manda was not a Maoist but an ordinary Dongaria kondh. However, allegedly, the police is yet to register a case.

Also read: Families of Bhaliaguda encounter victims demand independent probe

Source: Niyamgiri fake encounter case: Fact-finding team visits Dangamati