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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
NIA probes suspected Maoist links in loot of gelatin sticks in Odisha
A DIG-led three-member team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday started a probe into the theft of around 1.5 tonne of gelatin sticks from a truck on the Odisha-Jharkhand border by suspected Maoists on May 27 (Tuesday). Around 9.30 am on Tuesday, eight armed people rounded up the explosives-laden truck near a forested stone quarry at Banko within K Balang police limits, more than 90km from Rourkela, and drove the vehicle to a nearby forest where they unloaded the explosives and let the truck driver go. The driver, Debnath Toppo, told the police that another 10-15 people waiting inside the forest then looted at least 150 packets of explosives, each weighing 15-25 kg. The loot site is barely two km from the Maoist hotbed of Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Odisha police officials, who interrogated Toppo and owner of the stone quarry, Niraj Pandey, said it is almost certain that Maoists looted the gelatin sticks. 'From our investigation, it is certain that Maoists from Saranda forest did it. The gelatin sticks can be used as IED if there are enough detonators with them. That's why NIA has started probing the loot,' a senior police official of Rourkela said. Rourkela and Sundargarh districts are not on the SRE (Security Related Expenditure) list of the Union home ministry anymore due to lack of Maoist activities for a long time. There have also been no anti-Maoist operations lately in the two police districts that are close to the southern side of Saranda forests. In 2009, when the Maoist violence was at its peak in the region, the rebels looted an explosives-laden vehicle from Champajharan forest within the Chandiposh police limits. Subsequently, some packets of explosives were found buried inside the Saranda forest. Officials said the loot could be the retaliation by Maoists for the killing of several of their top commanders, including general secretary Basavaraj, in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur last week. 'The amount (of gelatin sticks) that they have looted is a lot for them to carry around. Besides, they normally burn down the vehicles after looting, which they have not done in this case. We are working closely with the NIA team,' the official said. In April 2009, Maoists had looted about 25 tonne of explosives, including ammonium nitrate and detonators, from a Nalco warehouse manned by CISF jawans. Eleven CISF jawans were killed in the attack.
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Business Standard
28-05-2025
- Business Standard
Suspected Maoists loot truck carrying mining explosives in western Odisha
Suspected Maoists on Tuesday looted a truckload of explosives meant for stone mining in western Odisha, triggering an intensive police search by the state police in Sundergarh district's border area with Jharkhand. The truck was transporting about 200 packets of gelatin sticks to a mine for stone blasting. Though the police search team found the hijacked truck in a jungle area close to Saranda forest bordering Jharkhand, the explosives had already been taken, a police officer told news agency PTI. Initial reports suggested that a group of around 30-40 people were involved in the incident. "There has been no trace of the stolen explosives. But the police have indication regarding the involvement of Maoists in the incident," another officer said. Debnath Toppo, the truck driver, said the masked robbers ambushed him at gunpoint and drove the truck, which was on its way from Banko to Badgaon, towards the forest. "They drove away the truck towards the forest and dropped me on the way," he was quoted as saying. The area, known for its frequent Maoist activities, is located near the Saranda forest range, which stretches into West Singhbhum district in neighbouring Jharkhand. The Sundergarh district police have registered a case with K Balang police station suspecting Maoist involvement in the incident. DGP Y B Khurania, IG (Operations) Deepak Kumar, DIG Brijesh Rai, DIG Himansu Lal, and other senior officials reached K Balang police station area to review the situation.
