KORAPUT: Five persons were arrested on Thursday for their alleged involvement in the murder of former Maoist cadre T Anil Kumar alias Chandu at Upper Kanti village under Semiliguda police limits of Koraput district on December 14. The arrested are president of Sunabeda Tippers & Truck Owners Association Narendra Macha alias Mitu Kalia, his wife Jayanti Macha, son Amir Macha and his aides Madhu Tadingi and Biswanath Padhi.
SP Charan Singh Meena said the accused had taken Chandu to Badamanjari village, where they allegedly attacked him with a rod. They later dumped his body in the nearby Kanti village.
Though the exact reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, police suspect financial dispute between Narendra and Chandu to be the reason. "We are investigating all possible links behind the murder," the SP added. The five accused have been forwarded to court.
Chandu was the former Maoist cadre of Koraput-Srikakulam Divisional Committee from Kanti village under Semiliguda police limits. He was also the head of the intelligence wing of the committee. He was arrested from Talapaniki village under Narayanpatna block in 2014 and was granted conditional bail and later rehabilitated in Koraput.