5 Fake Maoists Arrested In Odisha’s Malkangiri

Malkangiri: Motu Police here on Sunday arrested five persons on charges of blackmailing a mine owner in the area by posing as Maoists.

As per reports, a granite mine owner, C Venugopal in Peta area under Motu police limits of the district was charged an extortion of Rs 50 lakh through telephone from one of the arrestees, failing which, he threatened that Venu and his office in the area would be bombed.

Not only Venugopal, even his office staff were threatened to comply with the demands of the imposters, sources said.

After frequent threat calls for nearly 15 days, Venugopal decided to take help of police and finally registered an FIR at the Motu police station on November 22, 2019.

Based on the complaint, police launched a manhunt and nabbed the five extortionists who posed as Maoists by tracking their mobile phone location.

Briefing media on the operation, Malkangiri SDPO Prahalad Sahai Meena said, “A case 76/19 was registered at the Motu police station on November 22. Five accused- three from Motu police limits and two others from bordering areas of Andhra Pradesh, were arrested in this connection.”