JEYPORE: A dreaded Maoist cadre, believed to be involved in a series of attacks on security forces in Odisha as well as Andhra Pradesh was arrested from a forest near Petaguda in Boipariguda here on Monday. He was booked in at least 76 cases by police forces of the two states.
Acting on specific information, teams comprising Koraput DVF, SOG and BSF cordoned off the forest and nabbed the Maoist identified as Dubashi Sankar. Also known as Arun, he carried `20 lakh reward on his head. One Insas rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition, a mobile phone, radio set and `35,500 cash were seized from his possession.
He was booked in two cases in Koraput, 18 in Malkangiri, 32 in AP’s Visakhapatnam and 24 in Telangana, police said. Arun is the highest ranking Maoist to be nabbed in the State in the last 20 years.During interrogation, the Maoist revealed that he was involved in Damanjodi fire exchange in 2009 in which 10 CISF personnel were killed. Besides, he was part of the Janiguda ambush in which four BSF jawans including a Commandant were killed in Malkangiri’s Chitrakonda in 2012.
Arun was also wanted in Govindapali landmine blast in which 11 policemen were killed in Boipariguda in April, 2010. Police said, he was also part of several encounters with security personnel in Odisha and AP. A member of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), Arun was involved in killings of many security personnel. He joined the Maoist group in 1987 as a party member under Indrapuriyal area committee in Telangana and was elevated as a special zonal committee member in 2003. He joined AOBSZC in 2004. In 2010, Arun joined the State military commission and was active in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Arun was produced in court on Tuesday evening. Sources said police have sought five days remand of Arun for further interrogation.In a related development, another cadre surrendered before South Western DIG Rajesh Pandit at Koraput SP office on Tuesday. He was identified as Sonal Madvi alias Kiran, an area committee member of Gumma under AOBSZC.
A native of Meddaguda village in Pamed of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, Kiran joined the banned CPI (Maoist) in 2012. He was involved in Ramaguda exchange of fire in Malkangiri in 2016 in which 31 Maoists were neutralised besides other gun battles with security personnel.