Following a tip-off that a large group of Maoists from a neighbouring state had entered the state with nefarious motives, the Gadchiroli Police’s crack C-60 commandos launched a combing operation in Kolamarka hills of Repanpalli division.
Suddenly, the Maoists hiding in the jungles started shooting indiscriminately at the C-60 teams which also returned the fire in self-defence.
After the encounter stopped, the commandos led by Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Yatish Deshmukh carried out a search in the vicinity and came across the bodies of four dreaded Maoists.
The police teams also recovered arms like an AK-47, a Carbine, two country-made pistols, ammunition, Maoist literature and other personal belongings of the deceased.
Officials suspect that the Maoists had slipped into Maharashtra to carry out violence or disruptive activities ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled here in the first phase on April 19, for which the notification will be issued on Wednesday.
The police were tipped off about the activities of Maoists in Gunduri reserve forest and Jugsaipatna on March 14.
The security forces led by the Kalahandi Superintendent of Police (SP) launched a combing operation in the said areas and swooped down on the camp. Seeing the forces marching towards them, the ultras stepped back and entered into the deep of the forest.
Also Read: Hardcore Maoist carrying cash reward surrenders in Odisha
Later, the forces seized 58 rounds of bullets, 10 detonators, 500 grams of gunpowder, hand grenade, gelatin sticks, two pairs of uniforms and other articles. Besides, security forces also seized a Maoist poster in which the Ultras appealed to take revenge of three Maoists gunned down by police in Taparang forest and warned police informers of stringent action against them.
Informing about the development, Kalahandi SP Abhilas G said, “We had information regarding around 10 to 12 Ultras of BGN Division moving in Gunduri reserve forest near Manaska village. A joint operation comprising CRPF and the Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel was carried out.”
Both the ultras had joined the banned CPI (Maoist) party in the Kistaram and Konta areas under the South Bastar region in Chhattisgarh in the year 2001.
As per reports, Samir was promoted to the rank of ACM in 2004 and was given charge of the supply team. In the year 2014, he left the party due to ill health and again joined the RPC/DAKMS in 2022 and was working as president of DAKMS in his village Burkulanka. He has actively participated in many Naxal activities.
Similarly, Ganga was promoted to the rank of ACM in 2012. Both Samir and Ganga returned to the mainstream after surrendering before DIG (South-western) Charan Singh Meena on Friday.
In the past five years, more than 22 active Maoist cadres and hundreds of active militias/Maoist sympathizers have surrendered in Malkangiri District.
“Malkangiri district has registered a sharp decline in Maoist activities due to the efforts of the Odisha Police and security forces in the past few years. Several ultras and sympathisers have also surrendered before the police,” said Meena.
Senior officials said that both Samir and Ganga revealed that a few local/active Maoist cadres are also willing to surrender and join the mainstream. However, they are not being allowed to surrender by the senior Maoist leaders, who are threatening to kill them and their family members.
Initially, it was suspected that both of them were brutally killed by the rebels inside a forest near the village. Phulbani SDPO, Suprasanna Mallick said the bodies of the deceased have been handed over to the family after post-mortem.
"The bodies of the couple were spotted by the villagers. A murder case was registered based on the complaint filed by their son. He informed me that his parents were doing black magic and some people had a rivalry with them," said Mallick.
The SDPO further said that the deceased's son has not reported about Maoist involvement in the murder case. Based on the FIR, our investigation is underway and it appears that the couple was killed with a hammer which has been recovered.
"Nobody has been detained in connection with the incident. We have no information regarding Maoist involvement so far. However, all aspects will be taken into consideration for carrying out further probes. We retrieved the bodies after following necessary SOP," Mallick added.
The deceased have been identified as Dahira Kanhar and Batasi Kanhar. Both of them were brutally killed by the rebels inside a forest near the village, sources said.
As per initial reports, a group of armed Maoists had picked up the couple from their house at around 9 pm on Friday.
The bodies of the couple are still lying in the forest and police officials are yet to reach the spot since the last filing of this report.
It is pertinent to mention here that Maoist presence is felt in Kandhamal district and Ganja cultivation is rampant here.
The bodies of the couple were found on Saturday morning. No villagers are daring to venture into the forest to retrieve the bodies.
Many believe that Maoists usually plant explosives near dead bodies, the security personnel are closely monitoring the developments.
The martyred jawan has been identified as Tijau Ram, working at the Darbha camp in the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) 4th Battalion.
According to sources, Ram had gone to a local market (haat) for shopping when the Maoists abducted him and killed him by slitting his throat. The presence of Maoists has been felt in Bijapur district as they have been targeting jawans in the area.
They have also been planting landmines, to threaten the SOG jawans.
Sources said the Maoists approached Ram as normal civilians in plain clothes. Later, they took him to a forest where they brutally murdered him and fled the scene, leaving his body in a pool of blood.
Combing operations have been intensified in the area following the brutal killing.
The exchange of fire occurred while the personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) were carrying out a combing operation in the area.
Acting on reliable intelligence input about the presence of armed cadres of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the Sunabeda Sanctuary, a search and area domination operation was launched by jawans of SOG and Nuapada District Voluntary Force (DFV).
Sensing the movements of the SOG Jawans, the ultras opened fire at them near Barkote Ghat. In retaliation, the security forces also opened fire, leading to a brief exchange of fire in the area. However, the Maoists managed to escape into the dense forest. The combing operation continued in the area till the filing of the last report.
In another incident, the SOG jawans have unearthed a hideout used by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, bordering Malkangiri district. The ultras had planted a 10 kg landmine in the hideout.
After getting information from reliable sources, CRPF jawans reached the spot and diffused the landmine.
Out of the two women Maoists, one was a member of the eighth company and another was a party member of Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the CPI (Maoist).
Senior officials informed that both the surrendered Maoist cadres are of Chhattisgarh origin. Moreover, their task was to reactivate the North-South corridor from Jhakhand to Chhattisgarh through south-centre Odisha. Moreover, they were part of the Maoist organisation since 2018 and were involved in a series of incidents in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
“Both the women Maoists were disturbed and frustrated by the continuous unethical activities in Maoist organisation like sexual harassment of female cadre, extortion of funds through intimidation and induction of young boys and girls in the organisation by false promise and propaganda,” said a senior police official.
Moreover, the senior Maoist cadres were involved in high-handedness and were behaving rudely with low rank cadres as well. It has been learnt that another 10 to 12 Chhattisgarh cadres have fled the Maoist camp in the last two months. Odisha Police officials are trying to establish contact with them. The surrendered Maoists have revealed the involvement of the Maoist organisation in the narcotics trade and other extortion activities.
“I was 16 years old when I was asked to join the camp for dancing. I faced problems in living in the forests and work was being done against ideology. The senior cadres were also misbehaving with us,” alleged one of the surrendered women Maoists.
The incident occurred when a joint team of security personnel was out on a search operation in Tekalgudem village, which is a bordering area between Bijapur and Sukma districts, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P. said.
The CRPF team was working in the area to establish a Forward Operating Base (FOB), or a remote camp meant to facilitate security forces operating in core Maoist areas, when the exchange of fire began in the afternoon. .
As per the information, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) personnel were present in the area at the time and swiftly retaliated to effectively counter the attack.
The number of personnel killed and sustained injuries are expected to be higher, officials said.
This was the same place where 23 CRPF personnel were killed and 33 were injured in the deadliest ambush attack by the Maoists in April 2021.
The area is a stronghold of dreaded Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, whose name has cropped up in every major attack in these parts since the massacre of Congress leaders in Jhiram Ghati in June 2013.
Acting on a tip-off, the combing team launched a search operation at Budhakhol forest. On sensing the movements of the SOG Jawans, the Maoists opened fire at them. In retaliation, the Jawans also fired back forcing the Maoists to flee the spot.
No Maoists could be detained during the operation. However, the combing team, apart from the explosives, also recovered some batteries, Maoist uniforms and literature, medicines, and other items from the camp.
According to sources, combing operations by security forces are continuing in the forest. There has been no report of any casualty till now.
The deceased has been identified as Nelson Bhengra from Samatha village under Jaraikela police limits.
Nelson was associated with Naxal organisation for a long time, following which he was arrested by Bisra police in Sundargarh and was sent to jail in May 2023. After being released on bail, he shunned violence to return to the mainstream of society.
However, he was again jailed on charges of demanding extortion from a road construction company. He was released from jail two months ago and was working as a night guard in a culvert.
The Naxalites suspected him to be working with the police as an informer. According to sources, at around 10 pm on January 10, armed Naxalites reached Samatha village and took him away from his house. They reportedly first beat Nelson severely before shooting him dead.
The Naxalites burnt down his phone and other belongings. They left a poster near his body too.
Police and CRPF personnel are conducting search operations in the forests of Jaraikela, Manoharpur, Chotanagra area of Saranda in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
For the last eight years, she was actively involved in a number of Maoist activities and violence, including IED blast in Odisha. The woman Maoist was carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head.
“It is a good achievement for the operation staff as the woman Maoist was actively involved in a series of incidents in Odisha for the last eight years. Apart from Odisha, she was also active in neighbouring states,” said Malkangiri SP, Nitesh Wadhwani.
The senior police official informed that Rosni was involved in at least 48 cases in Odisha including IED blast and ambush on security forces.
Boudh SP, Raj Prasad said, “A combing operation was being conducted and the jawans got injured in IED blast. The operation was on Boudh-Kandhamal border area. The jawans have sustained minor injuries in the blast.”
Recently, former Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal had reviewed the anti-naxal operations in Boudh and said that the Maoist presence has been reduced in the district. However, it seems that the rebels are still active in the region. CRPF and district police had also busted Maoist camp and dump in the state recently.
In December 2023, an exchange of fire between Maoists and the security forces was reported during a combing operation at Nalikumbha forest under Manmunda police limits in Boudh district.
On December 24 last year, two jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) had sustained critical injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED), suspected to be planted by Maoists, exploded in Kandhamal district.
Two District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans were also injured in the gunfight.
According to the police, the shoot-out happened at around 5pm during an area domination exercise by the DRG and Central Police Reserve Force (CRPF) in the forests near Mutvandi which lies along the Dantewada border.
The injured woman and the two jawans were rushed to the hospital following the encounter. A search operation is underway at the site of the encounter.
Informing about the encounter, Bijapur ASP, Vaibhav Banker said, “There was an encounter between the police and the Naxalites in which 2 DRG jawans were injured. A child died and his mother was injured in the crossfire by the Naxalites. We are conducting search operation by the DRG and CRPF in the area.”
Sources said Bhairamgarh area committee secretary Chandranna was seriously injured in the encounter.
Notably, the BSF had unearthed a huge cache of Maoist materials including gun-manufacturing equipment and explosives in Malkangiri and Koraput districts recently.
It is pertinent to mention here that many Maoists are trying to enter Odisha after fleeing from Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh due to anti-Maoist operations in these neighbouring States.
The materials were stored in a plastic drum and buried under the ground near Sileru river. The jawans detected the Maoist dump while conducting a combing operation in Bhejangwada jungle.
As per reports, the Left Wing Extremists (LWE) had hidden gelatine sticks, hand grenades, and a lathe machine used for manufacturing guns, to target security forces. However, the bid was foiled by the BSF jawans.
Similarly, the jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) unearthed a dump of Maoist materials including arms and explosives from the jungle near Gumudaput village under Machkund police limits in Koraput district.
The seized materials include eight tiffin bombs weighing 7kg each, nine tiffin bombs weighing 3kg each, flexible wires, two detonators, one pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition.
Sources said the explosives belonged to Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists.
It is pertinent to mention here that many Maoists are trying to enter Odisha after fleeing from Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh due to anti-Maoist operations in these neighbouring States.
Even in Odisha, the SOG along with the District Voluntary Forces (DVF) have been carrying out anti-Maoist operations in forests in the Kalimela area.
During a combing operation on December 25, they stumbled upon several Maoist articles, which were buried underground at Kurmanur forest spreading into the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
A gun, steel boxes, iron rods, torches, a gas cylinder, and 34 types of materials used in making tiffin bombs and explosives were seized by the security personnel.
As per reports, the jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) along with the District Voluntary Forces (DVF) have been carrying out anti-Maoist operations in forests in the Kalimela area.
During the combing operation on Monday, they stumbled upon the Maoist articles, which were buried underground at Kurmanur forest spreading into the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Among the articles recovered from the forest are a gun, steel boxes, iron rods, torches, a gas cylinder, and 34 types of materials used in making tiffin bombs and explosives.
According to sources, as the anti-Maoist operation is being carried out in the forested pockets, it is suspected that the rebels were planning to use the articles to target security forces.
In the wake of this development, the security forces have intensified the combing operation in the area. More such dumps are expected to be found.
Maoist activities are on the rise in the neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It has been a cause for concern for the Odisha Police while security forces in Malkangiri are on their toes.
The incident has been reported from Sirla forest under Tumudibandh police limits in the district. Both the injured jawans have been admitted to hospital in critical condition.
Following the blast, a massive combing operation has been launched by the jawans. An exchange of fire between the jawans and Maoists was also underway at the time of filing of this copy. The entire area has been cordoned off by the jawans who have now launched a counter-strike on the rebels, said sources.
Also Read: Maoist violence: High alert sounded in four Odisha districts
Kandhamal SP Suvendu Patra said, “Combing operation was going at around 10 am when the IED blast took place. They (the two jawans) have sustained splinter injuries.”
Patra further informed that the combing operation was continuing for the last two days. “We are suspecting the presence of a large group of Maoists in the area. As the live operation is underway, commandos are also present at the spot. There are no inputs of any casualties from the Maoists side. Usually, teams take precautions during such operations, it may be some old hideout. A clear picture will emerge after the team returns,” said Patra.
According to the senior police official, Maoists always have plans to target civilians and police personnel and the security forces' efforts are on to counter them.
The districts are Koraput, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, and Keonjhar. The SPs of these districts have been advised to tighten security on the border and conduct frequent patrolling in those areas.
The alert came following multiple occurrences of Maoist violence including the blowing up of a railway track at Binuan village between Rourkela and Manoharpur railway station late Thursday night. Following the blast train movement on Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai route was severely affected.
It is pertinent to mention here that various outlawed Maoist insurgent groups have called for a nationwide shutdown strike (Bharat bandh) on December 22 to denounce their recent encounters with security personnel.
Maoists on Wednesday had set on fire multiple vehicles and blocked the National Highway in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma hours after their encounter with security forces in the nearby forest.
A passenger bus, two trailers, and a pickup vehicle were set on fire by Maoists, police officials said. There was no loss of life in this arson.
Maoist posters and banners were also put up at the blast site.
As per reports, more than 20 trains were held at different stations due to the violence by the ultras.
Yognagari Rishikesh-Puri Utkal Express has been halted at Manoharpur.
Porbandar-Shalimar Express is at Manoharpur.
Jagdalpur-Howrah Express is at Manoharpur.
Shalimar-LTT Express is at Goilkera Station.
Pune-Howrah Express is at Rourkela station.
Howrah-CST Express is at Chakradharpur.
Howrah-Pune Express is at Chakradharpur.
Following the blast, personnel of CRPF and RPF reached the spot and launched a search operation on the track.
As per the Railway officials, the trains will have to wait for some more time. They will be allowed to ply on the route after the track repair works are completed and the RPF gives them a green signal.
It is pertinent to mention here that various outlawed Maoist insurgent groups have called for a nationwide shutdown strike (Bharat bandh) on December 22 to denounce their recent encounters with security personnel.
Maoists on Wednesday had set on fire multiple vehicles and blocked the National Highway in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma hours after their encounter with security forces in the nearby forest.
A passenger bus, two trailers and a pickup vehicle were set on fire by Maoists, police officials said. There was no loss of life in this arson.
Maoist posters have been pasted on the overbridge wall near Sundargarh private bus stand. The poster has been put up in the name of Prem Kumar Yadav of the PLFI Central Committee. Police have reached the spot and are investigating.
Notably, Sundargarh was excluded from the Maoist-affected district as there was no Maoist activity for five years. Earlier, PLFI was active in the Jharkhand border area of Sundargarh. In 2014, six innocent people were brutally killed by the Maoists suspecting them as police informers and then an encounter broke out with the police. Six Maoists, including the PLFI chief were killed in the encounter. Since then, there has been no Maoist movement in the district. After the poster today, they have once again tried to make their presence felt.
The rebels also target security personnel and election parties during movements in the naxal-infested areas. Odisha Intelligence Director, Sanjeev Panda said a joint operation with Chhattisgarh is continuing and such operations will be intensified. According to Panda, there has been a considerable improvement in the overall left-wing extremism situation in Odisha.
Naxal movement is almost zero in Koraput and Malkangiri while there is some activity in the bordering areas of Kandhamal, Boudh, and Kalahandi.
“Our focus is to combat such naxal movement and a special strategy has been drawn up ahead of the 2024 elections, We have decided to set up 11 more camps in forward areas so that elections are conducted smoothly,” said Panda.
Panda further informed that Odisha Police will soon purchase six advanced drones which will be used in anti-naxal operations. The technical evaluation process for the same has been completed, he said.
Senior officials of Odisha Police from 10 naxal-infested districts attended the meeting. Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal said Director Intelligence, ADG Operations, officials posted in naxal areas including SPs, DIGs are attending the review meeting along with senior officials of Central Agencies.
The focus on to discuss every aspect which needs to be strengthened as 2024 general elections will be held next year, said the senior cop.
“We need to remain cautious during the election period and ensure that the polls are held without any incident. Despite the deployment of forces, the presence of naxals in some pockets is also being felt and putting up posters,” said Bansal.
Bansal further informed that Odisha shares its border with Chhattisgarh and some rebels from either side crossover. “We have been able to dominate due to active cooperation from Chhattisgarh. Today’s conference will focus on finalising strategy and how can we ensure incident-free 2024 election,” Bansal added.
The incident occurred while Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) jawans were on a combing operation in the forest.
Sensing the movements of the security forces, the Maoists started firing at them. In retaliation, the combing team also fired back. The exchange of fire has been going on for the past one hour, reports said.
No casualty has been reported in the encounter so far. The gunfight was underway till the filing of the last report.
Meanwhile, two members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) surrendered before Kandhamal police today. The two Maoists with several cases against them surrendered before the DGP during his Mao review meeting.
The two have been identified as Ranjit Naitam and Unga Poyam, both hailing from neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The two had been associated with the Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the Odisha State Committee of the CPI (Maoist) Association since 2017 and are involved in several violent activities.
According to Rai, the Government has set up Counter Insurgency and Anti- Terrorist Schools for the training of police personnel. Three such schools have been set up in Odisha.
The Central Detective Training Institute is crucial for improving the training methods of the State Police while investigating and dealing with cases in Left Wing Extremism-affected (LWE) areas.
As per a PIB report, the Government of India (GoI) has been supplementing the efforts of States affected by LWE. To address the problem of LWE holistically, a National Policy and Action Plan was approved in 2015 which envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security-related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities, etc.
While on the security front, the Central Government assists the LWE-affected State Governments by providing Central Armed Police Force battalions, training, provision of funds through schemes like Security Related Expenditure (SRE) and Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), funds for the modernization of State police forces, equipment & arms, sharing of intelligence, construction of Fortified Police Stations, etc, the report added.
Addressing a press conference at the FTR HQ, Bhubaneswar, the BSF IG said, “No Naxal-related activity was reported from Malkangiri and Koraput districts in the last three years. But Naxal activities are still being reported from districts like Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi and Nuapada.”
The BSF is steadfastly working to quell the menace. While none of Odisha districts has a cadre Maoist, we have to be more alert in the areas of those districts that are sharing borders with Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand, he added.
Also Read: Hill cave used by Maoists as weapon arsenal busted in Odisha
Now Kandhamal district is in our focus. In January 2023, a battalion stationed in the Rayagada district was moved to the Kandhamal district. And, the district has not reported any Naxal-related activity from January 2023 to the present date.
Notably, the BSF observes its raising day on December 1. This year, it will be observing its 59th raising day.
It is pertinent to mention here that, after a long gap, a banner allegedly put up by Maoists (CPI-M) was found on the outskirts of Durgaprasad village under Bhanjanagar Police limits of Ganjam district on November 12.
It is suspected that the cave used to provide a safe haven to the Left-wing ultras inside the deep forest. Before they could perpetrate a major attack or violence, the BSF thwarted their attempt.
As per reports, Tulasi Hill is located on the border of neighbouring Chhattisgarh. As the elections are underway in Chhattisgarh, the Maoists were suspected to be planning to launch a major attack to disrupt the polling process by operating from the Odisha side. As the security and surveillance had been tightened, the ultras might have felt it safe to hide their arms and ammunition in the hill cave, which was away from the glare of the security forces.
ALO READ: 2 Maoists killed in encounter in bordering areas of Odisha’s Malkangiri
Sources said, that when the search operation in the area was going on, the BSF jawans came to know about the dump of the arms and ammunition. Among the articles seized from the cave included tiffin bombs, grenades, walkie-talkie sets, and Maoist literature.
Reports said as the area is on the borders of Chhattisgarh, Maoists usually move in the hilly terrains on the Malkangiri side. Six months ago, the Red Rebels used to hold a sway in the area. But after a BSF camp was set up, the ultras have reportedly been on the back foot.
Meanwhile, the BSF suspect similar ammunition dumps in the hilly areas and intensified search operations.
The landmine was recovered during a search operation by police and DVF. Later, the explosive was defused by the bomb squad.
SDPO Swaraj Debata said, “It was an old landmine which was buried and it surfaced after the mud got washed away under the influence of heavy rainfall. The explosive had also degraded and we subsequently defused it.”
Debadata said that the information regarding the recovery of a tiffin-like material was received and a team rushed to the spot and defused it.
Meanwhile, combing and search operation has been intensified by CRPF in the area following the incident.
"From 2015-2019, there has been a 30% decrease in the number of naxal incidents, a 32% decrease in encounters, and a 56% decrease in death of security personnel. I thank Odisha government and Naveen babu for extending cooperation to us to curb Naxalism," Shah added.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said, “The naxal menace has been controlled and there has been a drop in left-wing extremism. Odisha government has always supported us to combat naxals. Besides, the state has also adopted new methods and leading the country in disaster management. We can also defeat disasters if Centre and States work together."
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, who was also present at the event, thanked the BJP-led NDA government for focusing on the State’s development.
Notably, Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Odisha, inaugurated 51 kilometre-long 4-lane stretch on National Highway 53 connecting Kamkhyanagar and Duburi, at Loka Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
Besides, he also laid the foundation stone for the widening and strengthening of Moter to Baneer via Ladugaon road of Kalahandi district.
The police suspect red rebels may unleash terror in various parts of Odisha to make their presence felt during observance of the martyrs' week. Several posters have been put up by the Maoists in different parts of Kandhamal district. The posters have been recovered under Gochhapada police limits, Kuermunda, Pahireju and Balandapada areas of the district.
The security forces have intensified combing operations in Kandhamal district as a precautionary measure. Joint teams of district police, SOG and DVF are carrying out regular patrolling as the Maoists have also urged villagers to extend support to the Saheed Saptaha.
The movement of government buses by OSRTC on five routes have been suspended in view of the Saheed Saptaha of the Maoists.
As per initial reports, the rebels have also put up posters in Jamseth area. In the posters, the ultras have opposed the casteism prevalent in the society and vowed to bring a revolution.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Maoists have called for observance of the 'Shaheed Saptah' from July 28 to August 3 and the poster has been put up by Maoist divisions of Bolangir, Bargarh, and Mahasamund areas.
It has been found that usually, the rebels urge locals to boycott various policies and support the cause taken them through such posters and literature. No comments could be received from senior officials of Odisha Police.
As per initial reports, over 10 armed Maoists including few women cadres stormed into the crusher unit and later torched two poclain machines, five Hyvas and two loaders.
The Ultras have left behind posters in which they claimed to have carried out the destruction as the crusher units are attributing to pollution in the region apart from destroying roads and soil.
The Red Rebels have also accused the crusher unit of exploiting the labourers and warned other crusher unit owners of similar consequences if there is no check to such activities. Meanwhile, senior police officials could not be contacted over the damage carried out by the Maoists.
The KKBN division of the Maoists has purportedly released the posters where the red rebels have urged people to observe the day as a people's movement.
It is pertinent to mention here that three Maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel of the State Intelligence Wing (SIW) in Taperenga of Kalahandi district on May 9, 2023. A deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-rank officer also sustained injuries in the encounter.
Also Read: Kalahandi Maoist encounter: How it happened and Intelligence Wing’s action
The anti-Maoist operation came in the backdrop of the recent Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh in which 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and a civilian driver were killed on April 26.
Later, Odisha Police officials had sounded an alert in bordering areas of the state. The alert was sounded in Bargarh and Kalahandi districts as a precautionary measure.
In a first, police have seized a drone camera from CPI (Maoist) couriers in Telangana. The accused have been identified as Nageswara Rao, Malikarjuna Rao and Pangulu Umashankar.
As per official sources, the drone was seized during joint search operations by Cherla police, special party police and CRPF 141 Bn personnel at Devanagaram of Cherla mandal in Kothagudem district on Tuesday.
Former BSF ADG, Pravas Mishra said, “The seizure of drone and explosives is certainly concerning. During interrogation, the accused revealed that the Maoists are in possession of 10 drones which are being used for surveillance and tracking of the movements of security personnel.”
According to Mishra, such incidents reveal that the rebels are using drones for the past 3 to 6 months. Apart from this, automatic weapons are also reaching the naxals which is a challenge for the security personnel engaged in combing operations.
As per initial reports, the Maoists of Bastar division bordering Odisha’s Malkangiri district are in possession of nearly 10 drones. The CRPF jawans had spotted drones during the operation in Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur.
The bandh is being observed in Rayagada, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Boudh, Nayagarh and Gajapati. The rebels had also released an audio tape in this regard.
The impact of the bandh was felt in Simanbadi area in Kandhamal district. Most of the markets remained closed in fear of the rebels, sources said.
A Maoist poster of Baghuna Division on 12-point charter of demands was also recovered alongside the National Highway 59 yesterday.
It is pertinent to mention here that a major tragedy was averted after the security personnel detected explosives planted by the red rebels in Malkangiri district on Sunday.
The IED was planted by the ultras to target the jawans and other forces in the area, sources said. The explosives were planted near a culvert and the jawans of 142 battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans successfully defused the three kilograms of IED after getting information.
A major tragedy was averted as the security personnel detected the explosives planted by the red rebels. The IED was planted by the ultras to target the jawans and other forces in the area, sources said.
The explosives were planted near a culvert and the jawans of 142 battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans successfully diffused the three kilograms of IED after getting information.
It is pertinent to mention here that recently the Special Intelligence Wing (SIW) had conducted a successful operation in Kalahandi by killing three Maoists after an encounter recently.
The officers of SIW have shown exemplary courage and gunned down three Maoists in Taparanga Reserve Forest under M Rampur police limits based on a specific intelligence input regarding the presence of armed Maoist cadres.
Also Read: Kalahandi Maoist encounter: How it happened and Intelligence Wing’s action
A DSP rank officer had also sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire with the Maoists. He then underwent successful surgery at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
The operation came soon after an alert was sounded in Odisha following the deadly Naxal attack in neighbouring Chhattisgarh district.
The deceased has been identified as Subal Kanhar of Saulipada village in Sumarbandh gram panchayat under Phiringia police limits.
Subal was asleep at his house when three Maoists woke him up late at night and took him 200 metres away from his house and fired five rounds of bullets at him, alleged his brother.
The deceased’s family members brought serious allegations against the local police and accused them of not reaching the spot despite repeated calls.
Speaking exclusively to OTV, Subala’s brother Sudam Kanhar said, “At least 3 Maoists had come to our house and took away my brother. They took him around 200 metres away and fired five rounds at him. They suspected him of being a police informer and had earlier warned against working on behalf of the police.”
“They had been behind him since 2018-2019. Since then, we are staying in Balliguda. But, my brother had just shifted back to the village two months back,” he added.
“The police are scared to go to the village to recover the bullet-ridden body. They have directed fellow villagers to bring the body to a neighbouring village from where it will be taken for post-mortem. So, a few villagers are bringing the body,” he further added.
Meanwhile, the Maoist attack after a brief gap has once again sent a shockwave across the area.
SIW’s primary role is to monitor the movement of the Maoists and pass on the necessary information to the DVF, SOG and other security forces deployed in anti-naxal operations in Odisha. The officers of SIW have showed exemplary courage and gunned down three Maoists in Taparanga Reserve Forest under M Rampur police limits based on a specific intelligence input regarding the presence of armed Maoist cadres.
The SIW initially got an intelligence tip-off regarding the presence of 20 to 30 Maoists in a camp and that some of the ultras had come to the village to buy ration. A four-member team led by DSP Atul Das reached the village and immediately alerted Kalahandi police.
As the rebels started to leave the village, the SIW team decided to go ahead with the operation all by itself without waiting for Special Operations Group (SOG). The team warned the rebels to surrender, but they opened fire. In retaliatory firing, three Maoists were killed. It is suspected that the killed Maoists belong to the KKBN division. One AK47 assault rifle and two other weapons were seized from them.
In the exchange of fire, the DSP also sustained bullet injuries and was airlifted to Bhubaneswar for treatment.
Even though the SIW is mainly concentrating on passing crucial information to the groups engaged in combing and anti-naxal operations, they still have the capability to deal with small operations on its own.
“SIW of Odisha Police have done a good operation and killed three Maoists,” said Odisha DGP on Tuesday.
ADG (Operations) Amitav Thakur said, “As AK47 has been recovered along with other weapons, we suspect that the deceased Maoists could be top cadres of KKBN division.”
Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal and other senior officials met the injured DSP at AIIMS Bhubaneswar today. After surgery, the bullet lodged in the injured DSP's body has been successfully removed by the doctors. His condition is said to be stable. Meanwhile, search and combing operation is still continuing in Kalahandi forest.
Also Read: Kalahandi encounter: Bullet removed from injured DSP’s body; combing operation continues
The injured DSP underwent surgery at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and a bullet that had lodged in the heel region was successfully removed by the doctors.
“The injured officer has sustained two bullet injuries while one had got lodged in the heel area. The bullet has been removed and the condition of the patient is stable. It will take nearly two months for the injury to heal completely,” said Dr Saroj Patra.
While speaking to the media, DGP Sunil Bansal said that the condition of the DSP is now stable. Following the encounter, forces have intensified combing operations in the area and the special operation is still continuing, he said.
“Yesterday, we had recovered one AK47 and two more weapons have been recovered today. The identities of the deceased Maoists have not been ascertained yet. We are in touch with police officials of neighbouring states in this regard,” Bansal added.
It is pertinent to mention here that three Maoists, including a senior cadre, were killed in an encounter with security personnel of the state intelligence wing (SIW) at Taperenga-Ludengad forest under Madanpur Rampur police station area of Kalahandi on Tuesday.
The exchange of fire occurred in the wee hours during a combing operation. Sources said that one Deputy Superintendent Of Police has also sustained critical injuries in the encounter. The DSP has been admitted to Bhima Bhoi hospital in Bolangir.
The combing operation was launched in the region in view of the week-long Maoist campaign as part of their strategy to regroup in the region.
The anti-Maoist operation assumes significance in the backdrop of the recent naxal attack in Chhattisgarh in which 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and a civilian driver were killed on April 26.
Following the Chhattisgarh naxal attack, senior Odisha Police officials had sounded an alert in bordering areas of the state. ADG (Operations) Amitabh Thakur said that the alert has been sounded in Bargarh and Kalahandi districts on May 2.
Earlier, three districts- Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Nuapada were put on high alert following the Chhattisgarh naxal ambush.
The exchange of fire took place in the Puttapadu forest of Cherla mandal of the district.
The deceased reportedly include IOS commander Rajesh of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The incident occurred when personnel of Telangana's anti-Maoist force Greyhounds were conducting combing operations in the forest. The Maoists came face to face with Greyhounds. When asked to surrender, the Maoists reportedly opened fire forcing the anti-Maoist force to retaliate.
While two Maoists were killed, others managed to escape deep in the forest. There were no reports of any casualty among Greyhounds personnel.
The exchange of fire occurred two days after Telangana Police chief Anjani Kumar warned the police force against complacency in tackling Maoists, especially in areas bordering neighbouring states having the Maoist presence.
The Director General of Police (DGP) asked the police personnel not to lower their guard in the wake of killing of 10 security personnel and one civilian in a landmine blast in South Bastar of Chhattisgarh on April 26.
He had told the police personnel that even a small incident relating to law and order in the state may have a severe impact on the development of Telangana state. Keeping this in view, the police officers should be more vigilant and tackle the situation firmly.
The DGP said that in the background of approaching Assembly elections, the officials have to take adequate precautions in terms of security during the visits of political dignitaries and VVIPs movement in the state. Stating that there is a possibility of the movement of Maoist action teams increasing in the border areas of the state, he advised the officials to be more cautious.
On Tuesday, senior Odisha Police officials informed that the alert has been extended to two more districts bordering Chhattisgarh. ADG (Operations) Amitabh Thakur said that the alert has been sounded in Bargarh and Kalahandi districts as well.
Earlier, three districts- Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Nuapada were put on high alert following the Chhattisgarh naxal ambush.
Also Read: Chhattisgarh Naxal Attack: Slain jawan's wife lays down on funeral pyre
“It has been observed that around 90 per cent of the Maoists come to Odisha from Chhattisgarh. Our focus has always been on ensuring that the ingress of Maoists is checked. Alert has been issued for the bordering districts of Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Bargarh and Kalahandi,” said Thakur.
Thakur said already the Odisha DGP has instructed concerned officials to intensify area dominance exercises which is currently underway.
On reports of sexual abuse and exploitation of Maoist cadres, Thakur said that such stories of torture and exploitation are revealed by the surrendered ultras.
“We have heard that such kind of exploitation is rampant in the Maoist camp. However, our efforts are to bring back the red rebels to the mainstream as Odisha’s surrender and rehabilitation policy is the best,” Thakur added.
Sharing details about the encounter, Nabarangpur SP S Sushree said, “Two SOG teams of Odisha police launched an ant-Maoist operation on Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. A gunfight broke out between the police personnel and 20-25 armed ultras during the operation which lasted for around half-an-hour.”
“No one was hurt in the gun battle. However, a huge cache of Maoist articles including IEDs were seized during the operation,” Sushree informed, adding that, “The Maoists were exploiting the women. It was evident after huge amount of contraceptive items were seized from their camp during the search operation,” the top cop said.
Notably, Naxals blew up a vehicle of the District Reserve Guards (DRG) with an improvised explosive device (IED) near Dantewada in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. Ten personnel of the DRG and the driver of the vehicle were killed in the ambush.
Meanwhile, Odisha Police has also decided to intensify combing operations in different Naxal-infested districts of the state following the Chhattisgarh carnage.
The slain Maoist commander has been identified as Gautam Paswan.
Police are conducting extensive search operations in the area after recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition, including several AK-47 and INSAS rifles.
Confirming the incident, SP Rakesh Ranjan said that the number of Maoists killed could be more and complete information will be revealed after the search operation concludes.
According to sources, Chatra district police and paramilitary troops were conducting a search operation in the forests of the area adjoining Palamu district when the Maoists ambushed the security forces.
The security forces retaliated and the crossfire continued for at least three hours. While five deaths have been confirmed, some Maoists managed to escape.
Locals identified the eliminated extremists as Ajit Oraon aka Charlies, Amar Ganjhu aka Dhiru, Ajay Yadav aka Nandu, Sanjit Bhuiyan aka Sagar and Gautam Paswan.
Squads of CRPF CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and police from Palamu and Chatra were involved in the operation.
Surayam Majhi and his wife Pabitra, residents of Birikote village under Mohana block in Gajapati district, were Maoist cadres. In 2007, they had surrendered to join the mainstream of the society.
Then, they were given a patch of land in front of Birikote Panchayat office under the government’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy. Pabitra was also appointed as the Anganwadi worker.
Now, Surayam alleged that the government has taken away the land given to him. He came to know about this when he got his land measured for construction purposes.
“The administration is torturing mentally. I have found out that the administration cheated me by giving me less land than promised. I will go to the district administration and the DGP, seeking justice,” said Surayam.
Informing about the incident, Mohana tehsildar Sudhansu Bhushan Pallai said, “We haven’t received any letter from him. But I met him once and told him that he had encroached upon the land adjacent to his land. I even got the land measured by the RI. But he is claiming that he has more land than what is actually shown in documents. We will go through the records and if his claim is proved to be true, then we will give him the demanded land.”
(Reported by Mihir Jati, OTV)
It is suspected that the explosives were hidden in the dump by the ultras with the intention of targeting the security personnel in the region.
As per official reports, one gun, 2 empty SBML shells, 11 hand grenades and 28 detonators besides 3 steel tiffin boxes and other articles have been recovered from the dump.
In January last year, the security forces recovered a huge quantity of explosives during a combing operation in the Swabhiman Anchal (Cut-off region) of Malkangiri district. The explosive dump was detected by the personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the District Voluntary Force (DVF).
Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Wadhwan said four tiffin bombs and 20 web belts and huge quantities of medicines were found. The security forces also had recovered a huge cache of explosives and country-made weapons from a Maoist dump ahead of the panchayat polls in the month of February last year.
Country-made guns, a Tiffin-box IED (weighing 05 Kg), 4 broken country-made pistols and revolvers, a walky-talky set and detonators were recovered from the Maoist dump.
(Reported by Jitendra Beura, OTV)
According to a report, the large congregation of the Maoists had some top cadre leaders. They took out a rally carrying firearms, dancing to the beats of the drums. The rally culminated at Etraj hill in the district.
It is learnt that the assembly was called to oppose the alleged torture meted out to tribals.
On the other hand, the Naxals unleashed a terror in Rabdipara jungle of Sukma on Friday. They shot dead the sarpanch of Pongabheji panchayat. The deceased was identified as Punem Santra.
Also in Nabarangpur, Odisha, the Maoists allegedly shot dead a man on Friday night as a punishment for destroying forests by cutting down trees. The deceased has been identified as Narayan Nagesh of Laxmipur village.
According to a source, a group of rebels took Nagesh out of his home and later killed him by firing at him. In a poster, the Mainpur-Nuapada Division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) mentioned that Nagesh along with some forest department officials was involved in cutting down trees and creating land for rehabilitating people.
Since 2010, Nagesh was involved in such activities and he has been punished for the crime, the poster read.
The Red Rebels also issued threats to some other family members of the deceased.
As per reports, a group of rebels picked up Nagesh from his home and later killed him by firing at him. In a poster, the Mainpur-Nuapada Division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) mentioned that Nagesh along with some forest department officials was involved in cutting down trees and creating land for rehabilitating people.
Since 2010, Nagesh was involved in such activities and he has been punished for the crime, the poster read. The red rebels have also issued threats to some other family members of the deceased.
It was alleged that the Maoists had warned Nagesh not to get involved in activities that destroy forests in the region.
On February 23, a youth was also killed by the Maoists on suspicion of being a police informer in the district. The killing by the Maoists has again sparked panic among the other villagers in the region.
(Reported by Kartik Mallick)
The Maoist prisoner has been identified as Azad. Once, he was a top Maoist leader and was wanted in several cases including the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati. He is also an accused of the attack on an armoury and police station in Nayagarh district.
Azad was pursuing Post Graduation in Rural Development in Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The result of the examination was announced on Friday and Azad has secured first class.
Azad was once the most wanted red rebels by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Police and he had a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. He was arrested in 2022, and since then, he is serving his imprisonment at Jharapada jail in Bhubaneswar.
Notably, Azad is the prime accused in the Saraswati killing case and separate attacks on Nayagarh armoury and R Udaygiri jail in 2006.
As per the Indian legal system, a convicted person also has the right to pursue his study and appear in examinations from jail to enter the mainstream of social life.
The surrendered ultras have been identified as Manoj alias Mati Madhi (22/24 years) of Daldali village, Pandu Kabasi (27 years) and Aite Karttami (21 years), all from Daldali village under Mathili police limits in Malkangiri district.
The trio was active members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of CPI (Maoist).
As per the police, Manoj had joined the banned CPI (Maoist) party in 2017 and worked as a Party Member of Mahupadar LOS Kangerghati AC under DKSZC. He was carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.
Pandu had joined the Maoist organisation in the same year. Prior to his joining the Maoist group, he was working as a militia commander and was carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh announced by the Odisha government.
Moreover, Aite Karttami joined the banned CPI (Maoist) party in 2022. She was also carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head.
The surrendered ultras said they got disillusioned with the party leaders after realising that they were doing nothing for the development of their area and were only concerned about their own interests.
“They will be properly rehabilitated and will receive monetary assistance as per the Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme of the Government of Odisha. They will also get financial assistance for building a house, pursuing studies, and getting training in a trade/vocation of their will,” Malkangiri police said in a statement.
Reported by Jitendra Beura, OTV
A total 907 people, including 467 active militia men surrendered, Malkangiri superintendent of police Nitesh Wadhwani said.
These men hail from different villages bordering Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, which were once known as the stronghold of the red rebels.
The Maoist supporters used to assist in violent activities and were involved in killing of security forces and civilians, besides supplying all kinds of logistics to Maoists, he said.
The surrendered militia and supporters exhibited their opposition towards the Maoist ideology by burning uniforms and effigies during the programme held on the occasion. They also shouted anti-Maoist slogans before a large group of media persons who were present at the venue.
Wadhwani claimed that developmental initiatives of the Odisha government coupled with the strategic deployment of security forces inspired the villagers to join the mainstream. He said a series of developmental works like construction of new roads,
bridges, medical facilities, installation of mobile towers, projects to supply drinking water and electricity to all houses in the area were executed so far.
These developmental works and presence of security force motivated the Maoist militia and sympathisers to join the mainstream, he said.
On June 12 this year about 50 active Maoist supporters had surrendered before the Odisha director general of police S K Bansal here.
Maoist supporters surrendered before the police on four other occasions too earlier, which have created a huge impact in the area and many others are considering 'Ghar Wapsi' (return to mainstream), the SP claimed.
As per reports, based on intelligence inputs, an operation was launched by Kandhamal District Police in the Matakupa Reserve Forest area. An exchange of fire took place between Maoists and SOG teams on the border of Gochhapada Police Station Limit in Kandhamal and Kantamal Police Station limit of Boudh.
Later, during search operation in the area, one INSAS rifle, 11 bullets, and explosives were recovered from the neutralised female Maoist cadres in uniform.
Following the seizure, it is suspected that the Maoists were planning a major attack.
“We have successfully neutralised two women cadres. We have recovered two bodies and four firearms. Among the recovered weapons, we have found a high-quality rifle,” said Sunil Bansal, Police DG.
The DG further informed that the process of identifying the bodies is underway. “As it seems, the neutralised female Maoists held top positions,” he added.
Following the encounter, combing operation in the area has been intensified.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier on November 11, two female Maoists were neutralised by security forces in Balangir’s Gandhamardhan Mountain. The Maoists had a bounty of Rs 4 lakh each and they hailed from Chhattisgarh. As many as five female cadres have been gunned down in the last three months.