The police on Thursday formally arrested five of seven detained in the palm chopping case after interrogating the suspects. Two were set free on the ground that they did not have any role in the crime.
Addressing a joint press conference with Nuapada SP Umasahankar Dash here, Kalahandi SP Sarthak Sarangi said the arrested persons, including labour contractor Parbesh Duni, have been produced before the SDJM court in Bhawanipatna.
Others are Bana Majhi, Baikuntha Routi, Arjun Bhoi and Gangadhar Dash. All of them belong to Kotamal village under Khariar police limits in Nuapada district.
Sarangi said each of 12 labourers of Nuaguda village under Jaipatna block of Kalahandi was paid an advance of ` 14,000 while the contractor kept his share of ` 1000. While they were going to Hyderabad via Raipur to work in a brick kiln, they had a dispute with the labour contractor regarding payment and place of work.
When the dispute could not be resolved, the labourers got down from the train between Raipur and Gondia stations. On December 7, the contractor called other accused persons to Raipur and caught hold of two labourers Nilambar Dhangada Majhi and Deuli Nial.
The labourers were taken to Kotamal village under Khariar police limits in Nuapada district and kept captive. The labour contractor contacted the family members of the captive workers over mobile phone to give back the money taken by 12 labourers or else he threatened to kill Nilambar and Deuli.
After the families did not give money, the contractor and other accused took the labourers to Belpada jungle near Sindhekella of Balangir district in an MUV and chopped off the right palms on December 15. The chopped palms were thrown to a nearby pond by the accused.
Sarangi said as villagers of Kotamal were in a panic, police will be deployed there for their security. He further said the weapon used in the crime has not been traced yet.