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Maoists hiding in Kerandimala hills?

BERHAMPUR: There is a strong suspicion that a group of escaping Maoists may have taken shelter in the jungles near Kankia close to Kerandimala hills at a distance of just 15 km from the city.

Local tribals saw some 15 persons moving suspiciously inside jungles near the hill on Tuesday.

Berhampur Superintendent of Police Nitinjit Singh immediately sent a team led by Sadar Circle Inspector Girija Rath to track down these persons and to gather information about them. Till 8 p.m., the police team had not been able to track down the persons.

Speaking to The Hindu from the search area, Mr. Rath said there was ample chance that a group of naxals may be using the Kerandimala hill and jungles to escape into Gajapati district’s Mahendragiri hill via Tumba. Naxal movement had been earlier reported from Tumba area. Mahendragiri is considered a safe haven and route of naxals operating in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and Gajapati district of Orissa. Decision on extensive combing operation in Kerandimala area was yet to be taken. It was suspected that the after the Nayagarh attack and their fight with the police in Gasama forest, the naxals had broken into small groups to disperse separately. They were using interlinked jungles for their benefit.

A 20-kg landmine hidden under a culvert near Paniganda at Adaba in Gajapati district was unearthed by CRPF jawans. It hints at the fact that some of them may have already entered the Adaba jungles in Gajapati district. It was also suspected that some of them may be heading towards Brahmanigaon and Daringbadi in Kandhamal district.

Although the police seized a huge cache of arms and ammunitions from Gosama hill on Monday, there was yet no trace of modern automatic weapons, which the naxals used against the police during their exchange of fire at the spot. The combing inside Gosama forest by Greyhound, CRPF and SOG personnel did not result in finding any naxals either alive or dead. But, police patrol team arrested a woman moving suspiciously at Bhanjanagar. She was being interrogated for any naxal links.

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