India

Orissa : Court Nails Police Lie on 'Surrendered Maoists'

The Orissa High Court Tuesday nailed a lie of the state police who had held two tribal youth of the state's Kandhamal district as 'surrendered Maoists', and ordered the duo's release. According to police, Bishnu Parida and Binayak Parida surrendered to police in Raikia police station area of the district Feb 28. After the 'surrender', police took them in custody.

Hearing the petition filed by their families, the court found that they were wrongly detained by police.

'When the duo deposed before court, the police's lie was exposed. The high court has ordered immediate release of the two,' said Prashant Jena, advocate for the Paridas.  'How can somebody surrender if there are no cases against them?' he added.

The district police had not only shown them as surrendered Maoists but also announced to rehabilitate them according to the surrender policy. But now, the local police are singing a different tune.

'They are not Maoists but sometimes they get involved in Maoist activities unknowingly,' said R.N. Barik, the inspector of Raikia police station.

(Sify, 30th March)