India probes killing of villagers mistaken as rebels by police during elections

NEW DELHI, April 25 -- The Indian authorities have launched an inquiry into the alleged killing of five villagers mistaken as rebels by police in the central state of Jharkhand state earlier this month, reported the private Indo-Asian News Service on Saturday.

The killings triggered the forcible holding of a passenger train by local villagers with the backing of extreme left-wing rebels on April 22.

Police said two policemen and the bus driver were killed in an ambush by rebels on April 15, while five rebels were also shot dead in an ensuing gunbattle.

However, local residents said the civilians killed were innocent villagers instead of rebels. Police reportedly dragged the villagers out of their houses and shot them at close range.

An Indian home ministry official said the probe will be conducted by an official of magistrate rank and the report will be submitted in a week, according to the report.

The villagers held a passenger train in Latehar last Wednesday for hours to highlight the issue. They also asked for compensation of one million rupees (20,000 U.S. dollars) to the family of each of the dead.

Some pollings of India's general elections this month were marred by violence from extreme left-wing rebels, as at least 24 people have been killed so far in the month-long elections which will end by mid-May.