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Odisha
Parlakhemundi: In a major blow to the Odisha Maobadi Party (OMP) led by Sabyasachi Panda, three women ultras carrying cash rewards on their heads have been arrested and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition seized in Gajapti district.
The three were arrested during a raid on an OMP camp at Mukhi jungle near Dimbiri Pankal village under Mohona police station limits last night based on intelligence reports, DIG (Southern Range) Amitabh Thakur said today after producing them before the media.
The three were 30-year-old Nikita alias Minati Majh of Dakarapada village in Rayagada district, 28-year-old Dandingi Anita Mia alias Dandingi Majhi of Kereda village and Susanti alias Sukanti Majhi alias Junu of Phiskapanka village in Rayagada district.
While Nikita carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh, Susanti and D Anita carried rewards of Rs 50,000 each on their heads as announced by the state government.
Quoting them, Thakur said that their leader Sabyasachi Panda was shot in the right thigh during a police operation on February 15 in Merikote reserve forest near Salimgocha in Ganjam district and was in hiding with two to three cadres.
The DIG said the three led them to different locations where a huge cache of arms, ammunitions, cash, generator, medicines including contraceptives and pregnancy test kits were recovered.
Describing the seizure as the highest in a single operation, Thakur said it included one AK 47 rifle, four SLRs, two Insas rifles and one 9 mm pistol.
Besides this, 354 rounds of ammunition, 13 magazines, one tiffin bomb, and Rs Rs 10.50 lakh in cash were seized.
Also seized were a generator fitted with a silencer, 13 mobile phones, two computer printers and a keyboard.
Thakur said that the three were involved in more than 40 cases in different districts.
Among them were the killing of two gramrakhis at Kattama in Gajapati district, attack on Nayagarh Armoury in 2008, exchange of fire with CRPF, SOG and DVF at different places and burning of a state bus at a place under Adava police station in Gajapati district, Thakur said.
Intensive combing was being carried out in Gajapati and Ganjam districts to nab Sabhyasachi, he added.
