BHUBANESWAR, ORISSA, INDIA, October 17, 2008: The Crime Branch of Orissa police on Thursday confirmed that Maoists had killed Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal district.
The decision to eliminate the VHP leader was taken by the Central Committee of Communist Party of India (Maoist) about seven months ago, and a group of about six hardcore extremists killed the VHP leader at the Jalespata ashram in Kandhamal on August 23 evening.
The local youths also took part in the crime and stood guard around the ashram when the Maoists executed their plan. The youths belonged to about four different groups from nearby villages, according to sources.
The three persons who had been arrested in the case so far belonged to the local groups, sources said. The three were produced on Thursday before a court at Baliguda in Kandhamal. The court remanded them to judicial custody.
The investigation happens under pressure. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), a Bangalore-based organisation, has urged the National Human Rights Commission to inquire into the matter and defend Christians in the state.