NUAPADA: Police on Wednesday arrested two Maoists during a combing operation at Patpani village area under Komna police limits in the district. The duo was identified as Manoj Madkani (29) alias Rosan of Ponjer village under Gangloor police limits of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh and Gupleswar Majhi (24) of Chilakutna under Lathor police limits of Balangir district.
Sharing details about the operation, Nuapada SP Smith P Parmar said Manoj, who was carrying a cash reward of `4 lakh on his head, was the area committee member of Gandhamardan Local Organising Squad (LOS) under Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund division. Gupleswar was working on the border area between Balangir-Nuapada.
Manoj was involved in a number of Maoist attacks that occurred in Bargarh and Chhattisgarh, police said. During investigation, it was found that Manoj was allegedly involved in the killing of a Sikhya Sahayak, Chaitanya Majhi, in Patpani village on February 8, 2013.
This apart, he was apparently involved in a number of cases in Bargarh district, including the killing of a forest guard Narayan Duan at Jaypur under Buden police limits; burning of a truck at Jharmunda under Paikmal police limits and attack on a camp of a contractor and burning of vehicles at Sareikela under Jharbandh police station in 2011, police added.
Besides, Manoj was involved in exchange of fire in Gandhamardan Reserve Forest (RF) and killing of a civilian, Ittar Mohammad, near Patrapali under Paikmal police limits in 2012. According to police, his involvement was found in the exchange of fire in Jhanjh RF near Mohanpali under Padampur police limits and in a similar incident in Lohora RF under Ambabhona police station in 2014.