A Naxalite faction terms Malkangiri ambush against Maoists as fake, demands judicial porbe

KOLKATA: Four days after killings of 23 Maoist activists at the Malkangiri forest in Odisha, a Naxalite faction on Friday termed the encounter as fake and has demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

CPI ML (Liberation), a Naxalite faction on Friday said that "the encounter was a fake one and we condemn the incident." Liberation general secretary Partha Ghosh told ET on Friday that "We demand a judicial inquiry into incident. We also condemn the way the Greyhounds (special police force to combat Maoist menace) and Odisha police conducted the operation at Malkangiri forest. Earlier also similar fake operations were carried out by the police forces."

Altogether 23 Maoist activists were killed in an encounter at the Malkangiri forest in Odisha during a joint operation by the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police. Two policemen were also injured in the encounter with the red ultras which continued for several hours.

Liberation is the only political organisation which has condemned the incident and termed the encounter as fake. There are at least 40 Naxalite factions, many of which have their branches in Bengal. But none of the organisations, except the Liberation, has come forward with statements condemning the killing and demanding a judicial probe into the incident.