ROURKELA: SENIOR cops and CRPF officials of both Odisha and Jharkhand met in Rourkela on Monday to chart out plans for effective anti-Maoist operations. Apparently, the meeting comes in the wake of reports about presence of three to four Maoist groups on both sides of Odisha-Jharkhand border.
On Saturday, security forces dismantled a Maoist hideout inside Sialjor reserve forest near Sanbalijor under K Balang police limits in Sundargargh district, close to Jharkhand border. Arms and ammunition have been seized. Earlier on June 23 and 28, Rourkela police had busted two Maoist camps in forests under Gurundia block in the district.
Taking note of these incidents, the senior Jharkhand cops met at Chaibasa on Sunday where it was decided to convene a coordination meeting at Rourkela on Monday. Senior police officials of Sundargarh district in Odisha and their West Singhbhum counterparts in Jharkhand were present.
Two Saranda-based groups comprising about 50 cadres under Dakshin Chhota Nagpur Zonal Committee (DCNZC) of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, led by Rappa and Chandan, are moving as a single unit, sources said. After July 9 incident, the unit has moved towards Bitkelsoi in Saranda forest of Jharkhand. Apparently, the group had come to receive two central committee members and was stuck in Gurundia forest. Another Saranda-based group led by Sandeep, is also present in Chandiposh forest to escort the central members.
Rourkela Police sources said security forces are focused on the group in Gurundia as it has veteran Maoist leaders and central committee members Prashant Bose alias Kishanda and Misir Besra alias Sunirmal.
A senior police official informed that the Saranda-based group of Kishanda and Besra is moving with about 50 armed-Maoists. The group holds much significance for Odisha Police as they are being tracked since January when they travelled to Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi and Angul trying to sneak into Saranda through Sundargarh. The group is not finding safe passage, he added.
Rourkela-based IG of Police (Western) RK Sharma said the Monday’s meeting focused on real time intelligence, information sharing and plugging the security vacuum along Odisha-Jharkhand border.
Stress was laid on increasing informal interaction and communication among field commanders of both the States to launch joint operations on short notice, he added.
Among others, Rourkela SP Anirudh Singh, his West Singhbhum counterpart Michael Raj and CRPF Commandants of both sides were present.