Hardcore Maoist held at Jharkhand border

--Security personnel unhurt in M’giri landmine blast

ROURKELA/MALKANGIRI: Meanwhile, the Rourkela police on Saturday in joint operation with a special squad arrested a hardcore cadre of the CPI (Maoist) from the Kaliaposh-Jharbeda jungle at the Odisha-Jharkhand border under the Bisra police station, Rourkela.

Rourkela SP Himanshu Lal told reporters that basing on intelligence inputs regarding movement of the Maoists in the Kaliaposh-Jharbeda jungle an operation was launched at the wee hours of Saturday. Ram Gagrai (23) alias Ram alias Chhotu of Tirilposhi under the Jaraikela police station of West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, who was highly active in the Saranda forest at the Inter-State border was apprehended at about 8 am.

Gagrai he confessed to have been involved in the Langalkata encounter case under the K Balang police station. He was also involved in a number of other Maoist violence cases at Odisha-Jharkhand border area since 2008, including abduction and murder of villagers at Topadihi and Lagalkata under the K Balang PS in December 2010.

He had joined the Maoist organisation in 2007 being threatened and picked up by Anmol Hembram alias Samarji, the then secretary-cum-spokesman of the Dakshin Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoists), informed Lal.

He was also named an accused in the murder case of ex-Home Guard Kandri Lohar (28) and her minor son Sib (4) on February 12, 2012 near the Mahipani railway gate under the Bisra PS.

On the other hand, joint forces BSF, SOG and local police personnel escaped unhurt in a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists at Kanaguda under Kalimela police station limit in Malkangiri district on Saturday while going to join in a combing operation at the nearby jungle.

On a tip-off the joint forces started journey to arrive at Kanaguda to conduct raid on a Maoist camp, but on the way they faced landmine blast as a result fire exchange between the police and ultras started where 500 round bullet were used. Finally, the red rebels left the place and the police recovered huge cache of explosives, wires and landmines from the camp.   

Similarly, the Maoists had planted another landmine targeting a police jeep at Gamphakonda in the district that blasted on Saturday, but no police personnel were injured in the incident, sources said.