Police nab wanted Maoist in Odisha

Koraput, Odisha: A Maoist wanted by the police in 12 murder cases and many other crimes was arrested in Narayanpatna area of Odisha’s Koraput district, police said today. The arrest, which was made following a tip-off on Sunday, came two days after security men gunned down a Red rebel in an exchange of fire in the district. The arrested ultra has been identified as Jhadu Tadingi, local leader of Narayanpatna Area Committee of Srikakulam Koraput Divisional Committee (SKDC) of CPM, police said. “We had intelligence inputs regarding movement of Jhadu in a forested area near Dumsil village under Narayanpatna police limits and an operation was launched to nab him,” said SP (Koraput) Awinash Kumar. Initially, Jhadu had joined the Maoist backed Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) and after being trained in using arms, he was inducted into the armed squad of the Maoists in 2009, according to the SP. “In between 2009 and 2013, Jhadu was involved in murdering at least 12 civilians of Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks, branding them as police informers. Since long he was in our wanted list,” he said. Police said while in 2009 the arrested ultra murdered two persons, in 2010 he killed four villagers. Similarly, in 2011, 2012 and 2013, he murdered three, two and one civilians respectively on charges of supplying information to police. [caption id=“attachment_1211875” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image.[/caption] According to police, apart from the murders, Jhadu had provided logistics support for landmine attack at Jogi Palur in Narayanpatna in 2009 in which nine securitymen were killed. He was also involved in many other offences, including attack on Narayanpatna police station in 2009 and exploding a culvert at Anchalpur in Narayanpatna in 2010. “Jhadu had unleashed a reign of terror in the area and is involved in several cases of dacoity, arson, extortion of money and organizing meetings for extremists,” the SP said. Meanwhile, BSF personnel recovered a country-made gun, medicines and Maoist literature from a rebel hideout at a forest near Rangamguda under Narayanpatna police limits during an operation on yesterday. PTI