BJP President Amit Shah on July 12 constituted a committee of three MPs to look into the killing of five tribals in Kandhamal district as the party rejected the Odisha police’ claim that they were killed in a crossfire involving Maoists and demanded a probe by a High Court judge.

The committee, headed by party vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, will visit the place and is expected to submit a report to Shah at the earliest. Other members of the committee are BJP national secretaries Jyoti Dhurve and Ramvichar Netam, both tribal leaders.

Dhurve and Netam are tribal leaders and Members of Parliament.

The saffron party has seized on the issue to target the Naveen Patnaik government and broaden its base in the tribal region which has been in news earlier for violence.