Bhawanipatna: In a bizarre incident, three villagers including a ward member were killed and two minors injured when the security personnel opened fire at them during a combing operation in the Karlapat forest in Kalahandi district in the evening on Sunday.
According to reports, the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the SOG personnel, while on a joint combing operation inside the Karlapat forest, noticed the movement of some people. Suspecting them as the Maoists, they opened fire at them in which three of them died on the spot while the two others identified as the minors sustained bullet injuries.
During investigation it was revealed that the victims and the injured were the residents of Panchgulgaon area.
The deceased were identified as Panchgul ward member Jaishankar Naik, Shukru Majhi and Panchu Majhi.
The injured minors - Arjun Majhi and Ichhu Majhi - were later admitted to the District headquarters hospital for treatment.
Arjun Majhi, one of the injured undergoing treatment, said, "We went to the forest in search of our goats. While five of us were talking in the forest, the CoBRA personnel came and fired upon us. I am not sure whether they are security personnel or not."
Further, he stated, " I have sustained a bullet injury while Ichhu got hit by another bullet. We managed to hide from where we saw that they shot dead other three. We have also seen them carrying back the bodies with them."