Maoists free villagers in Odisha

MALKANGIRI: Four days after abducting them, Maoists freed two villagers, including a woman and son of a sarpanch, in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

Padia Madhi, son of Gumphakonda village panchayat sarpanch, and Rame Padiami reached their village yesterday after trekking a few km, Inspector in-charge of Kalimela police station S K Nayak said.

A group of red rebels had struck in Gumphakonda and abducted three persons on Wednesday night suspecting them to be police informers, police said.

One of the abducted persons had managed to escape from the clutches of the Maoists the next day when the group of ultras were engaged in an exchange of fire with BSF.

The rest two were set free by the Maosits with a warning that they should have no link with the police, sources said.