In Odisha five men killed by the CRPF as Maoists were “daily wage earners and church functionaries”, said by the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO).
The killings took place near Bhaliaguda village in Gajapati district, CDRO told in a statement.
It said an investigation by a six-member team showed that the men allegedly killed by the Central Reserve Police Force were not “militia of any leftwing extremist party.
It also said that, “Those killed were, in fact, daily wage earners and church functionaries, some of whom were actively engaged in mainstream political and social activities.”
The statement denied accusations that the dead belonged to the Odisha Maowadi Party, the breakaway group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist.
