BHUBANESWAR: With the March 31 deadline nearing, director general of police (DGP) YB Khurania on Tuesday said Odisha is just 13 Maoist cadres away from being declared a Left-wing Extremism-free state.
Addressing mediapersons at Police Bhawan here, Khurania said only a small group of Maoists remains active in the state at present. Of the 15 members identified, two surrendered on Monday, leaving 13 who are currently operating under Sukru, a state committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), in the Kandhamal–Kalahandi–Rayagada border region.
With the deadline to make the state Maoist-free approaching, Odisha Police has made significant progress. Two days ago, 11 Maoists surrendered in Kalahandi district. The group included one divisional committee member, five area committee members, and five party members, carrying a cumulative reward of `63.25 lakh. Earlier, 10 hardcore Maoists, with a combined reward exceeding `1.5 crore, surrendered in Kandhamal district.
“We are confident that before the deadline, the remaining cadres will either be apprehended or surrender,” the DGP said.
Khurania also highlighted the success of Odisha Police’s crackdown on mule bank accounts and fake SIM networks under ‘Operation Cyber Kavach’, aimed at curbing cybercrime.
During the drive, conducted from February 13 to March 12, police verified 39,714 mule bank accounts. They identified 1,315 active mule accounts, along with 36 ATM cash withdrawal cases, 47 cheque withdrawals, and 24 instances involving fake SIM cards or PoS devices. A total of 379 individuals were arrested, including 349 linked to mule accounts, nine connected to fake SIM rackets, three involved in ATM cash withdrawals, and 18 in cheque fraud cases. Additionally, notices were issued to 7,549 suspected account holders and accomplices.
The operation targeted cyber fraud networks, fake SIM usage, online betting, hawala transactions, and cryptocurrency scams across multiple districts, including Sambalpur, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Nuapada, Khurda, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Jajpur, and Dhenkanal.