A top Maoist leader has been arrested in Odisha’s Koraput district during a research operation by security forces, and cash and arms were seized from his possession, the police said on Tuesday.
The Odisha government had announced a souvenir of ₹ 20 lakh for any information resulting in his arrest.
Dubashi Sankar, a pacesetter of the state certification (SMC) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), was apprehended on Monday morning from a forest area adjoining Noaro village by jawans of the district voluntary force, special operations group and also the BSF, DGP Abhay said.
“This is that the first time a Maoist leader of such high rank has been arrested in Odisha,” the DGP stated.
One Insas Rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition, a mobile, radio and cash of ₹ 35,500 were recovered from his possession among other items.
The Maoist leader went along multiple names like Mahender, Ramesh and Mahesh.
Amitabh Thakur, officer (operations), when contacted by PTI, said the Maoist leader, during interrogation, admitted that he was involved in multiple criminal cases, including a landmine blast in Koraput in 2010 that claimed lives of 11 police personnel.
Dubashi Sankar had joined the Maoist organisation in 1987. He was promoted to the rank of special zonal member (SZCM) in 2003. He sorted the outfit’s operations along the Andhra-Odisha border, Mr Thakur said.
He joined the state credential of the CPI (Maoist) in 2010, Mr Thakur added.
In a related development, a Maoist cadre surrendered before the police in Koraput district on Tuesday.
He will get assistance in accordance with the Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme of the Odisha government.Sonal Madvi alias Kiran, a region member of the CPI(Maoist), claimed that he wasn’t in favour of the “unnecessary civilian killings” by the outfit, a policeman in Koraput said.
Sonal Madvi also stated that Odiya cadres of the banned organisation are “looked down upon by their Telugu and Chhattishgarhi counterparts”, the officer added.
