Maoist with Rs 4 lakh bounty surrenders before Odisha Police
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Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Odisha cops seize 9 tonnes of explosives, 4,000 detonators from Kandhamal forests
The Odisha police on Monday said they have seized around 9 tonnes of explosives, including gelatin sticks, and 4,000 detonators from the forests of Kandhamal district, an area known to be Maoist hotbed. A (Getty Images/iStockphoto) 'Our personnel have seized around 9 tonnes of explosives and 4,000 detonators from Tumudibandha area in Kandhamal. We have detained two persons for interrogation in this connection. Security personnel had earlier found 600 detonators from a Maoist dump in Kandhamal last month. The detonators seized from both places were of same brand,' said Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) in Odisha, Sanjeeb Panda. Police said 70 Maoists have been spotted around Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi and Bargahr districts with some members of central committee in the last few months. In Kandhamal area alone, around 20 Maoists are active. The ADG said the police suspect that the explosives and detonators meant for mining activities were being illegally supplied to Maoists. 'We have launched an investigation to find out the source and destination of the seized explosives,' he said. 'The explosives were stored illegally in Tumudibandha area. Our officials are looking into all these issues,' said Panda. Security personnel found similar explosives from a Maoist dump in Gumma Reserve Forest in Kadhamal around a month ago. Maoists from neighbouring Jharkhand had stolen huge quantity of explosives from a stone quarry in Sundargarh district a couple of months ago of which only 80 % could be recovered from Saranda forest during combing operations.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Encounter specialist', another cop awarded with Shaurya Chakra
Raipur: Two policemen from Bastar's Kanker district—inspector Laxman Kewat and inspector Rameshwar Prasad Deshmukh—have been awarded the Shaurya Chakra for their courage in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) operations, officials said. The honour was given for their role in April 2024 Kalpar hill encounter, where security forces gunned down 29 Maoists in one of the deadliest operations in recent years. Among the two, inspector Kewat stands out as one of Chhattisgarh's most celebrated anti-Maoist commanders, officials said. Since joining the police force in 2007 and being posted in insurgency-hit Bijapur in 2012, he has led 36 operations, and is credited with eliminating 92 Maoists. His first encounter on March 23, 2014, earned him an out-of-turn promotion. Kewat recalls how he once wrestled with fear in Bastar: "Either I could've quit the job and went home, or I could've fought the Maoists. I chose to fight. If everyone left, who would protect the people of Bastar?" He said. That decision has since shaped his career. In April 2023, Kewat led 187 personnel in the Kalpar hills operation that resulted in 29 Maoist deaths, considered a major turn for police morale. Inspector Deshmukh was among other troops accompanying him. Kanker SP Kalyan Elesela said that he personally knows Kewat since 2014 when he was a sub-inspector and the duo, along with Deshmukh, have carried out several operations together. Kewat is a leader and very brave, he said. Kewat's strategy to round up Maoists during operations, and grab them while they attempt to flee, has been his winning-point, officials added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cops suspect Maoist link with explosives seized in Ganjam
1 2 Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police on Monday suspect a potential Maoist link to the massive cache of illegal industrial explosives seized by Kandhamal district police on Sunday. Tumudibandha police seized about 9 tons of gelatin sticks, 4,000 detonators and a variety of other explosive materials from a hideout in neighbouring Ganjam district. Three men were arrested — Albut Kumar Patra (18), Hemant Sethi (31) and Shakti Ranjan Dash (50) — for illegal possession of explosives. What initially appeared to be a routine case of illegal storage of explosives, likely intended for use in stone quarries or mining operations, turned out to be allegedly meant for Maoist insurgents. The breakthrough came when police discovered that the brand of explosives seized matched with those found in a Maoist dump in Gumma forest, Kandhamal, on July 17. During that operation, police had recovered at least 600 detonators from a hideout abandoned by the Maoists. "The consistency in the brand and quality of explosives seized in both instances indicates a strong Maoist link. We are scrutinising the supplier or company responsible for their manufacture," ADG (anti-Naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda said. Investigations revealed that the supplier of these explosives could be a mining operator based in Andhra Pradesh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The 5 Books Warren Buffett Recommends You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "We are currently interrogating Patra, Sethi and Dash to gather more information about the supplier and any potential links they may have with Maoist groups," Panda said. The senior officer emphasised that a comprehensive investigation is underway to dismantle the network, tracing the supply chain from its origin to its intended delivery to the Maoists. Besides, inspections in stone quarries and mines that use explosives have also been launched. The gravity of the situation has prompted the involvement of national security agencies, with the National Investigation Agency and Intelligence Bureau having been alerted to the unfolding developments, police sources said. The revelation of a Maoist connection to the seized explosives in Kandhamal has heightened concerns within Odisha Police, especially in the light of a May 27 incident where the rebels allegedly stole 5,000 kg of gelatin sticks from a stone quarry near Rourkela in Sundargarh district. The threat posed by Maoist activities was further underscored on Aug 3, when a landmine explosion, allegedly carried out by the rebels, claimed the life of a railway employee and injured another during a routine track inspection in Sundargarh district, near the Odisha-Jharkhand border. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
