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Nayagarh attacks: arrested Maoist spills the beans

BERHAMPUR: Neither the forest officials nor the police used to keep watch on the Gasama jungle on Ganjam-Kandhamal border for possible presence of anti-socials before the naxal attacks in Nayagarh.

Their vigilance could have thwarted the Nayagarh plans of Maoists.

Interrogation of the arrested Maoist, Manjulata Muduli, who was a part of the naxal group involved in the attack, has revealed that the around 300 naxals involved in the Nayagarh attack on February 15 gathered up in the Gasama jungle near Sinharadi hill from February 12. This hardcore female cadre was active in western Orissa. Manjulata was arrested along with another hardcore cadre Pratap Kimbaka from Ranikiari village in Ganjam district near Galeri police outpost blasted by naxals on February 16.

Manjulata was taken to the Gasama hill and areas near it on Monday for on the spot interrogation by the police to find details regarding the naxal operation.

According to sources, she has revealed the detailed events in the Gasama jungle area that preceded the Naygarh attacks.

As many as 290 Maoists had taken part in the Nayagarh operation, she said. The rest 10 like her were left behind the Gasama hill to prepare food for the Maoists on their return journey after attacks in Nayagarh district. Around 150 hardcore Maoists, selected for their violent skills from different parts of Orissa, were in this large team of naxals. The rest were naxal commanders from Orissa and outside the State.

The whole team got together in the Gasama jungle near Sinharadi hill from February 12 to chalk out the last details of their attack. The nearby Gasama hill was to be their get together point after attack. The irony is that although Maoists in such large number stayed inside this jungle, cooked food and used modern communication equipments like mobile phones and walkie-talkies, no forest official or policeman of the area could suspect anything.

Meanwhile, letters claiming to be from self-proclaimed leaders of CPI-ML (Maoist) wing in Orissa have started reaching scribes in south Orissa.

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