Cuttack, June 19: The National Human Rights Commission issued notice to the state government to show cause why compensation of Rs 5 lakh each should not be paid to the next of kin of three persons, who were killed in crossfire between police and Maoists in the Kalahandi forests in November 2015.

The commission had received a complaint, alleging that three innocent villagers were killed and two minors injured on suspicion of being Maoists during a joint combing carried out by the security personnel (district voluntary force and the Special Operation Group) in the Karlapat forest in Kalahandi region on November 15, 2015. On the next day, RTI activist Jayanta Das filed the complaint, in which Jaya Majhi - a ward member from Panchkul village in Jugasaipatna gram panchayat - was shot dead, along with Hari Shankar Naik, a Dalit from Panchkul, and Shukru Majhi, a villager from the neighbouring Nisanguda. Arjun Majhi and Echu Majhi, two boys, were injured in the incident. The rights commission sent the case to its investigation division for consideration.

The police as well magistrate had conducted inquiries into the incident. On analysing the reports, the investigation division found that both the police and magisterial inquiries found that the three deceased and two injured persons were not Maoists. Therefore, three innocent villagers were killed and two suffered gunshot injuries without any fault of theirs as a result of crossfire between the police party and the Maoists. Thereafter, the investigation division suggested for issuance of notice for grant of monetary compensation to the victims.

"The commission issued the show cause notice to the state government on June 16," Das, the complainant said. He had received a copy of the order.

In its order, the rights commission said: "The Commission has carefully considered the complaint, the various reports, the noting of the Investigation Division and comes to a prima facie conclusion that three innocent persons were killed in crossfiring, for which the State is liable to compensate."

In the order, the commission directed the state government "to show cause as to why an amount of Rs 5 lakh be not recommended to be paid to the next of kin of each three deceased".

"The chief secretary shall respond to the show cause notice within six weeks," the commission said in the order.