Latest news with #Bijay
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Hardcore Maoist carrying Rs 4 lakh bounty on head lays down arms in Odisha
BERHAMPUR: A hardcore Maoist carrying a bounty of Rs 4 lakh on his head surrendered before Rayagada police on Tuesday. Police identified the Maoist as Bijay Punem alias Ajay of the Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavali (BGN) division of the banned CPI (Maoist). Bijay is a native of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh. At the time of surrender, he was carrying a pistol, eight rounds of ammunition and a walkie talkie. Rayagada SP S Swathi Kumar said Bijay was a member of the BGN division's Ghumsar area committee and wanted in several cases. He was involved in multiple Maoist activities including armed encounters with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district and neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The SP said Bijay joined the CPI (Maoist) in 2009. After receiving initial training, he worked as a personal security guard for Modem Balakrishna alias Manoj. He was promoted to area commander member in 2014 and worked for the BGN division. In 2024, he came to Odisha and took leadership of the Ghumsar area committee. However, Bijay faced various difficulties including mental torture from top Maoist leaders, food and water scarcity, and frequent operations by the security forces. He also faced language barriers and differences within the Maoist camp, which led him to surrender, said Swathi. The SP further said Odisha government's surrender and rehabilitation policy has been instrumental in encouraging Maoists to give up violence and join the mainstream. Under the policy, surrendered Maoists receive financial assistance, housing support, education and vocational training to help them become self-reliant. Steps would be taken to provide the assured facilities to Bijay, she added. Bijay has reportedly told police that his wife and others in the banned outfit would surrender soon.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Time of India
Prime accused in journalist assault case arrested
1 2 3 Balangir: Police on Tuesday arrested the prime accused in the journalist assault case at Kulthipali village in Balangir district. Gajendra Dalei (43), who allegedly instigated his associates to attack the victim, Bijay Kumar Padhan (46), was arrested while trying to flee from Jharsuguda. On Monday, four individuals were arrested and a minor boy detained for brutally attacking Padhan, journalist of a vernacular news channel. Saroj Kumar Upadhyaya, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Balangir, said Gajendra was intercepted and taken into custody. "A team from Puintala police station had been tracking Gajendra's movements since he 'absconded' following the incident. The team is currently bringing him back to Balangir," said the SDPO. Bijay, accompanied by his nephew, had visited Kulthipali on May 23 to report on alleged corruption in the construction of a retaining wall along the village road. The project, worth around Rs 10 lakh, was awarded by the Puintala block administration and executed by Gajendra. Gajendra objected to the journalist filming the ongoing work and allegedly instigated his associates Abinash Dalei, Aditya Jena, Gumar Naik and others to assault him. The assailants allegedly tied Bijay's hands and legs, beat him brutally under a tree, and later paraded him through the village and took him to a temple. There, they allegedly threatened him not to publish the report or disclose the incident.
