ROURKELA: After a hiatus, the outlawed outfit CPI(Maoist) is trying to recreate its base in Sundargarh side of the Odisha-Jharkhand border.
Sources said a group of armed cadres on Sunday night visited the Karda village under Chandiposh police limits, close to Jharkhand border. They arrived at Nuatoli hamlet of Karda village and appealed to villagers to support their movement. A section of villagers who were apprehensive that they might be targeted by the Maoists, went into hiding. While terrified villagers claimed that Maoists were 30 to 35 in number, police claimed it was less than 20.
The outfit will be observing its 10th formation day on September 21.
On Monday, police started combing operation to sanitise the area and restore public confidence. A police officer, requesting anonymity, said Maoists stayed in the village for some time and tried to woo the villagers before vanishing into the adjacent forest. Bonai-based Additional SP RB Panigrahi said adequate security measures have been taken to protect the vulnerable border areas.
Till two years back, Bonai sub-division along with Bisra, Lathikata and Bondamunda police stations areas were affected by Maoist-related violence originating from Saranda forest. But, things changed with heavy deployment of CRPF in Saranda and sustained efforts by Rourkela police in Sundargarh side of the border. In a recent breakthrough for police, an armed Maoist cadre Samir Munda (20) along with two male members and a female member had surrendered before the Rourkela police four days back.