PHULBANI: Kandhamal police have arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the Maoist violence at various places in the district. One among them, Manmohan Pradhan, is the husband of the sarpanch of Sonepur panchayat in Daringbadi block.
Police said Pradhan was involved in planting of landmines in areas under Daringbadi police limits in December.
One of the landmines went off but none was hurt in the incident. He is also accused of being a food conduit to the Maoists, police added. Pradhan was arrested from his house.
The two other persons, Suneswar Baladamajhi and Petaguluduka, were arrested during an anti-Maoist combing operation. While Baladamajhi is a resident of Malliguda under Kotagarh police limits, Petaguluduka hailed from Chandrapur area of Rayagada district.
Police said Petaguluduka was involved in the landmine blast at Srirampur near Kotagarh on January 5 in which three policemen died and three were injured. He is the third person to be arrested for the blast. Baladamajhi, on the other hand, was involved in an encounter between the Maoists and security personnel at Malliguda in January 2010.
Meanwhile, security personnel on Monday recovered two container bombs, weighing about 21 kg each, from near Jubaguda village under the Kotagarh police limits, barely 2.5 km from the CRPF camp, said Sub-Divisional Police Officer Satyajit Nayak.