IEDs, gelatin sticks found in underground explosive dump in Odisha’s Malkangiri

Malkangiri, once a hotbed of Maoist activities, has not reported any significant incidents over the last three years

Published on: Apr 3, 2024, 14:57:24 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: Security forces on Wednesday seized a large quantity of explosives from an underground dump suspected to have been set up by Maoists in south Odisha’s Malkangiri district near the Andhra Pradesh border, police said.

The seizure was made by the Malkangiri’s District Voluntary Force in Dayaltung village (Odisha Police)

The seizure was made by the Malkangiri’s District Voluntary Force in Dayaltung village under Kalimela police station.

Among the seized items are 190 gelatin sticks and several improvised explosive devices including one weighing 20kg, a senior Malkangiri police officer said. “It is suspected that these articles were made to target civilians and security forces. This is seen as a major jolt to the subversive and anti-national design of Maoists in this area,” the officer said.

Police suspect that the explosives dump was connected to the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the banned CPI (Maoists).

This is the second explosive dump of the Maoists to have been unearthed in Malkangiri since February this year when Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who are deployed in the region, found three pressure cookers, 20 metres of Cordex, 24 gelatine sticks and 2 bundles of electric wire.

The district, once a hotbed of Maoist activities, has not reported any significant incidents over the last three years. Currently, Maoist activities are being reported from the districts of Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Boudh where the Maoists move in very small groups.

Wednesday’s discovery comes weeks ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state.

In 2019, 15 of the 540 polling booths in Malkangiri reported zero polling due to Maoist threats due to fear of retaliation by Maoists. Sanjukta Digal, a Gram Rozagar Sevak serving as a polling supervisor was also shot dead by Maoists in Kandhamal. For the upcoming elections, at least 11 BSF companies, seven companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 15 platoons of the state police force and some units of the Special Operations Group will be stationed in the Kandhamal, the highest deployment of security forces for any district in the state.

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

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