Combing operation continues, huge explosive seized from 2 dist

--Police starts operation Sabyasachi, bodies of deceased Maoists identified (unofficial) 

PHULBANI/JEYPORE: The police on Thursday started search operation to nab Odisha Maobadi Party chief Sabyasachi Panda after the killing of five Maoists in Ganjam-Gajapati border in the State in an encounter on Wednesday. During separate combing operations in Kandhamal and Koraput district, the joint forces have recovered landmines, gelatine sticks and tiffin bombs, said the police sources.

The bodies of the Maoists were taken to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Brahmapur for postmortem on Thursday. Though, the official sources yet to declare the identity of the deceased Maoists, the unofficial sources revealed that they all belong to Kandhamal district. They were Basu (31) of Tikabali, Sudhansu (32) of R Udaygiri, Santosh (28), Ramesh (26) and Litu of Raikia area of the district, the sources said, adding, the deceased Maoists were involved in the Nayagarh armoury attack in 2008.

The police also recovered the personal kitbag during the combing operation and they would reveal the information regarding Sabyasachi after three days, said the sources. “The search operation is continuing at Bhaliagarh area of Mohana in Gajapati district and we are doing our best to search other Maoists active in the area,” said Ganjam SP Ashish Singh.

On the other hand, in a joint combing operation by the Border Security Force (BSF), Special Operation Group (SOG) Jawans and Narayanpatna Police, recovered explosives including 129 gelatine sticks, wire and tiffin bombs besides Maoist literature, uniforms and medicines from the Reserve forest situated in between Samana and  Pindamali village under Narayanpatna Police limits, about 60 km from Jeypore.

Sources revealed that the Maoists had a meeting in the reserve forest near Pindamali village on Thursday morning when the BSF, SOG and Narayanpatna Police were proceeding to the meeting spot. While the combing teams proceed to the spot, the Maoists saw them and immediately fled away from the place.

Similarly, three landmines weighing 20kg, 15kg and 5kg were recovered from Singaranga village under Kotagarh police station limit in Kandhamal district on Thursday during a joint combing operation by CRPF and local police. The CRPF jawans also recovered nine detonators from the Srirampur jungle under Kotagard PS which were planted by the Odisha-Chattishgarh State Maoist Unit. Besides, one Hero Honda CD100 motorcycle was recovered from Kalingibadi police station area, said Kandhamal SP JN Pankaj.