Nuapada, Jan. 30: Villagers of Katingpani and Bhaosil within the Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary in Nuapada district are panic-stricken as police have launched combing operation there yesterday and picked up twenty-six of them in connection with helping the Maoists. However, police released twenty-one villagers after finding them innocent.

Sources said that while conducting the regular combing operation the CRPF conducted raids in Katingpani and Bhaosil villages on Friday evening in connection with suspected Maoists links. The panic-stricken villagers alleged that police misbehaved with them and beat up several villagers. Police even entered the kitchens of the Bhunjia villagers, which is not considered sacred by most people of the community.

Official sources, however, said that the police seized weapons and some important documents from the house of some villagers.