Bhubaneswar: Days after senior Maoist leader Sukru (49) allegedly killed a fellow cadre to stop him from surrendering, Odisha police on Friday began a massive operation in Kandhamal forests to hunt him down.Police sources said Sukru, a native of Malkangiri district, is leading a group of around 25 Maoists currently hiding in Kandhamal. Odisha has about 40 active Maoists scattered in six districts, but Sukru, a state committee member carrying a bounty of Rs 55 lakh, remains the most senior operative in Kandhamal. “Our operation is underway in Kandhamal forests. We expect positive results soon,” said DGP Y B Khurania.
The crackdown follows the murder of divisional committee member Anwesh alias Renu, a military platoon commander with a Rs 22 lakh reward on his head. With Sukru showing no signs of surrender, state and central forces have encircled the forests to neutralise him, police sources said.Police fear Anwesh’s killing could briefly derail ongoing surrender plans among Maoist cadres as Centre’s March 31 deadline to see a Naxal-free India nears. “The Maoists have little choice but to surrender or face elimination in encounters,” warned Khurania.ADG (anti-Naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda reiterated the appeal: “We continue to urge Maoists to lay down arms and avail the benefits of the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.”Beyond Kandhamal, security forces are also focusing on the Gandhamardan hills in Balangir and Bargarh districts, where about 10 Maoists led by area committee member Sudarshan (64), alias Bikash, a native of Telangana, are suspected to be active.“We have mobilised full resources across the hills to foil Maoist plans. The BBM (Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund) division has already been severely weakened in recent years due to intensified operations, leading to multiple surrenders and deaths,” Panda said.Surveillance has been tightened along possible transit and escape routes on the Balangir-Bargarh-Chhattisgarh border.In a novel outreach, Odisha police have publicised the phone numbers of surrendered Maoists to encourage active cadres to contact their former colleagues directly if they wish to abandon arms. Posters featuring messages and contact details of surrendered Maoists, including Nikhil, his wife Ankita, and associates Nitu, Anupa, Mamta, Champa, Akash, Manish, and Sangita, have been pasted across the Gandhamardan hills. The appeals are printed in Odia, Hindi, English, and Gondi to reach diverse tribal communities.
