While security forces have cited the death of a CoBRA personnel,Deva Prakash,to claim that those killed in Friday nights encounter had Maoist links,villagers here said Prakash died in friendly fire. While firing was on,we suddenly heard them shouting,firing roko,humare ek aadmi ko goli lagi hai (stop firing,one of our men has been shot), said Karam Manglu,who lost his brother and nephew in the incident. At least eight villagers are reported to have died in the encounter in Ehadsameta village of Bijapur. Indicating that the villagers were not Maoists,Chief Minister Raman Singh,who held an emergency meeting of top officials this morning,announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the victims families. Villagers said they had gathered for their festival,Beej Pondum,when the security personnel came and mistook them for Maoists. We have been holding this festival for several generations. We worship our traditional weapons. Around 70 villagers had gathered that night, said Karam Budru,whose brother and two nephews were among those killed. Post-mortem reports confirmed villagers allegations that some were shot at close range. While the CRPF in Delhi claimed to have recovered explosives and busted a major Maoist camp,the security forces in Gangalur said they only recovered a bharmaar,a countrymade rifle. Meanwhile,the Chhattisgarh government today announced a judicial inquiry.
