MALKANGIRI : Maoists abducted at least five villagers of Mahupadar and Kamarpalli under Mathili police limits on Monday night suspecting them to be police informers and held them hostage for more than 12 hours before setting them free on Tuesday noon.
Sources said, a group of about 30 armed Maoists and their local supporters belonging to CPI (Maoist) Kankarghati Dalam of Chhattisgarh reached Kamarpalli village on Monday night and dragged Rama Kabasi, Rame Madhi, Unga Kabasi and Chaitanya Madhi from their houses at gun-point. Later, the rebels reached Mahupadar village from where they took Deba Madkami from his house, sources said.
The rebels took them to a nearby jungle bordering Chhattisgarh’s Tulsi mountain and kept them as hostages till Tuesday afternoon.
The Maoists had tried them in a praja court on the charges of being police informers. They were also beaten up severely before being allowed to walk free.
The rebels also warned the villagers not to inform Chhattisgarh and Odisha police about their movement. The villagers have reached their homes safe on Tuesday evening, police sources said.