MALKANGIRI: The body of Dinabandhu Bepari who was killed by Maoists on Sunday, lay at Bihangudi for two days before his family members recovered it on Tuesday for postmortem and cremation. Neither did police seize the body nor helped them in recovering it from the forest area, Bepari’s family alleged.
With police assistance not forthcoming, family members of the deceased made arrangements for getting the body on a motorcycle for 20 km from Bihangudi to Hantalguda. From Hantalguda, the body was taken to Chitrakonda where postmortem was conducted and later cremated.
Bepari of Jodamba village was held responsible for the killing of two cadres in Janturai village on January 25 when there was a face-off between the Naxals and villagers. He along with his family members was on way to Panasput on Sunday when their vehicle was intercepted by Maoists.
They directed his family members to leave and took him to Khajaguda forest, 4 km away from the Jodamba BSF camp, where they killed him. Bepari’s body was found at Bihanguda Chhack by locals, who informed his family members on Monday.
A blood-soaked letter was found in the pocket of Bepari in which the CPI(Maoist) outfit directed villagers of Jodamba, Janturai and Sindhibeda in Swabhiman Anchal to surrender before them within three days or else, face Bepari’s fate. The villagers were asked not to take help of police. Malkangiri SP Rishikesh Khilari said police could not step in to recover Bepari’s body as there was possibility of Maoist ambush in Bihangudi area. He said security personnel and police had sanitised the area and were present in civil dress when some civilians took the body away on a motorcycle on Tuesday.