Bhawanipatna: The CPI (Maoist) has called for a bandh in three blocks of Kalahandi district on November 23 protesting against Karlapat police encounter in which three local residents were killed two days ago.
In an audio tape released by Umakant, a top Maoist leader and secretary of Bansadhara-Ghumusara-Nagavali Division, claimed that there was no exchange of fire from the rebels' side during the encounter.
Police, in order to terrorise local residents, opened fire indiscriminately in which the innocent locals were killed, he alleged. He also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased.
Three villagers including a ward member were killed and two minor boys injured after being allegedly caught in a cross-fire between security forces and Maoists in the Karlapat forest in Kalahandi district on Sunday evening.
One of the injured boys said they had gone inside the forest in search of their missing goats when the incident took place.