Wanted Maoist killed in gunfight with forces in Odisha

Police officials said the deceased, Rabindra, a senior member of Bargarh-Balangir Maoist committee, had a reward of ₹5 lakh on his head

Published on: Jun 11, 2021, 15:52:25 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A Maoist cadre with ₹5 lakh prize money on his head was gunned down during an exchange of fire with Odisha Police at Padampur area of Bargarh district on Friday morning.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police officials said the deceased, Rabindra, a senior member of Bargarh-Balangir Maoist committee, was killed in a gunfight with Special Operations Group (SOG) jawans and state police at Jhanj Reserve Forest of Ganjaguda area under Padampur sub-division of Bargarh. A cache of arms and ammunitions, including an AK-47 rifle, was recovered near his body.

State DGP Abhay said a group of Maoists was spotted during a combing operation and it fired at the cops. The latter retaliated and Rabindra died in the exchange of fire.

Also Read | 4 Maoists among 14 arrested in Bihar; 2 gun-making units busted

“I urge all the Maoists to shun violence and return to mainstream. I appeal to them to join various rehabilitation schemes of the state government,” said Abhay.

This is the third such case this year in which Maoists have been killed in Odisha. In April, a 30-year-old woman Maoist was killed in an exchange of fire with SOG and District Voluntary Force team at Pangabaju reserve forest of Kalahandi district. The Maoist was part of KKBN division. Maoists also blasted an Improvised Explosive Device on the spot.

In January, a combined team of SOG and District Voluntary Force killed a suspected Maoist in a forest in Malkangiri district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Home/Cities/Others/Wanted Maoist Killed In Gunfight With Forces In Odisha