Key Maoist aide, accused in 5,000 kg explosives loot case, arrested in Odisha
Amid ongoing Maoist violence along the Odisha-Jharkhand border, the Rourkela Police in Odisha have achieved a significant breakthrough. Within just 24 hours of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer Satyawan Singh's death in the forests of Kebolang, police have arrested a crucial link in the Maoist network - George Munda.According to police, 43-year-old Munda, a resident of Banko village in Odisha's Sundargarh, has been an active Maoist associate. He played a key role in the May 27 plot involving the looting of 5,000 kilograms of explosives in the Kebolang police station limits.advertisementInvestigations have revealed that Munda not only helped plan the heist but also passed on sensitive mining information to the Maoists.
The development was announced during a press conference at the Rourkela Police Headquarters on Sunday afternoon, where Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Brajesh Rai and SP Nitesh Wadhwani detailed the breakthrough.They revealed that, so far, 3,811.30 kilograms of the stolen explosives have been recovered, thanks to the efforts of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Raids are continuing to recover the remaining explosives and nab other accused.The officials also issued a warning, stating that anyone found aiding Maoists would face the strictest action.Tune InMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Odisha
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
66 candidates mentored by Telangana ADG Mahesh Bhagwat among 459 selected in UPSC CAPF exam
Of the 459 candidates who qualified in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Assistant Commandant Examination 2024, 66 were mentored by Telangana's Additional Director General (Law and Order) Mahesh M. Bhagwat, and his team. Several of the candidates have secured top positions in the national merit list, including Shyam Yadav with an All India Rank (AIR) of 2; Shreyas S at AIR 5; Kuldeep Bishnoi at AIR 13; Aniket Tribhuvan at AIR 20; Riya at AIR 35, and Siddhesh Yeole at AIR 49, all within the top 50 ranks. The exam results were declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday (June 13, 2025) with 459 candidates making it to the final selection list for recruitment into the CISF, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB services. From Telangana, the selected candidates mentored by Mr. Bhagwat include Pettam Abhinav Varma from Mancherial who secured AIR 138, Bhanoth Lakshmi Vara Prasad from Khammam with AIR 256, and N. Anil Kumar from Hyderabad who secured AIR 406. From neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Sanmala Ajay from YSR Kadapa district secured AIR 355, said Mr. Bhagwat. Collective mentorship The senior police officer credited the collective mentorship provided by a group of distinguished officers and experts. He extended his gratitude to retired ADG BSF Sanjeev Sood, DIG CRPF M.A. Rizwan (a native of Hyderabad), DIG SSB D.N. Bhombe, Senior Commandant of CISF Pratap Punde posted at Pune Airport, CISF Deputy Commandant Rakesh, international relations expert Dr. Shailendra Deolankar from Maharashtra, and Indian Revenue Service officers Nitish Pathode (DC Customs, Ahmedabad) and Swachand Chavan, among others, for their support in grooming the candidates.
New Indian Express
7 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Conspirator in loot of explosives by Maoists held in Odisha
ROURKELA: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Rourkela police on Sunday claimed to have made a significant breakthrough in the loot of explosives by Maoists by arresting the main conspirator identified as George Munda alias Kullu (43). Police said Munda of Banko village in K Balang area had set up links with the Maoists for his own personal interest and facilitated the loot of the explosives-laden truck by providing detailed information about the stone quarry near which the crime took place. DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said during investigation, the SIT questioned several villagers and the name of Munda emerged as the leading conspirator. Munda was grilled and he confessed to the crime. For his own selfish interest, the accused collaborated with the Maoists and assisted in the crime by providing minute details of the status and operational procedures of the Banko stone quarry. Police sources said Munda was staying opposite to the stone quarry at Banko village. He was reportedly extracting stones illegally from the quarry prior to its legal allotment to a leaseholder. Later, he started objecting to the operation of the quarry and through some of his acquaintances in Jharkhand, contacted Maoist leader Anmol Hembram alias Samarjee.
Hans India
11 hours ago
- Hans India
Prime accused held in explosives loot case
Rourkel: Odisha police on Sunday arrested the prime accused and mastermind behind the loot of five tonnes of explosives by Maoists from a vehicle near a stone quarry in Sundargarh district on May 27, an official said. The arrested accused has been identified as George Munda alias Kulu (43) from Banko village under K Balang police station. Munda was passing information to the Maoists. He was the main conspirator from the beginning of the loot and actively passed information to the Maoists, said DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Rai. During the investigation, Munda's complicity was found by the police. He was living just opposite the quarry and was objecting to it, which was closed down subsequently, Rai said. It was he who had passed the information regarding the movement of the vehicle with explosives and ensured that the loot was carried out without any problem, the police said. Around 200 packets of explosives, mostly gelatin sticks, were looted by Maoists at gun-point on May 27 while those were being transported to a stone quarry for blasting rocks. A day after the looting, Odisha DGP Y B Khurania and other senior police officers visited the spot and an NIA team also started investigation into the matter. Odisha police also constituted an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to probe the incident. Security personnel on May 30 recovered a substantial amount of the explosives looted by Maoists in Sundargarh district following a fierce gun-battle with the red rebels. They found the stolen explosives in a dense forest in Jharkhand, around 3 km from the Odisha border. So far, 3.8 tonnes of explosives have been recovered while search is still going on to recover the remaining explosives. The State police, with assistance from CRPF, CoBRA, Jharkhand's Jaguar and Odisha's SOG and District Voluntary Force (DVF), had launched the search operation in the nearby forests on the night of May 27. The DGP admitted that the SOP meant for carrying explosives was not adhered to when the incident took place.
