Orissa Police arrest four Maoists in Bargarh

Bhubaneswar/Bargarh (Orissa), July 25 (ANI): Orissa Police has taken four Maoists into its custody and seized arms, ammunitions and communist literature from the ultras in Bargarh district.

The top brass of the district police disclosed this to the mediapersons at Bargarh on Sunday.

Kavita Jalan, Superintendent of Police, said the fifth rebel managed to escape while the four others were caught on the highway in Amarpali.

"Acting on a tip off, we were told that a silver colour car in Paikmal area was speeding towards Amarpali. When we stopped the car to do a security check we found things that are suspected to be related to Maoists and in it we found two tiffin bombs, two detonators, fire arms, six live rounds and gelatin sticks and some Maoist literature," said Jalan.

"The literature is written in Hindi and Oriya. Some letters written in the local language of India's eastern Chhattisgarh state were also found. They were addressed to their state secretary of a Maoist outfit," she added.

Two of the arrested Maoists are women and one of them is five months pregnant.

According to the police, three of the accused belong to Chhattisgarh's Kanker District.

The arrested Maoists have been identified as Anil Kumar alias Azad of Kasadand village, Rambati Usendi of Alpara village and Shambati Dubba of Bhimnar. The fourth, Makunda Naik hails from Rajapada village under Padampur Police Station of Bargarh.

The police have also seized cash amounting 1,350 rupees.

The Maoists on interrogation told the police that they were planning attacks on government institutions in the region over the next couple of days.

Superintendent of Police Jalan also said Shambati was having an affair with a Maoist leader, who forced her into the ultras movement.

The Maoists were taking Shambati to a hospital for an abortion before the police caught them.

The police have also said that the nabbed women mentioned that ladies were physically abused in the Maoist camps.

Revelations of women cadres being sexually harassed by Maoists over the past few years are reportedly on the rise.

However, Tapasi Praharaj, President of Orissa Chapter of All India Democratic Women's Association, a forum associated with the Communist Party, held the government responsible for such trends.

Praharaj told mediapersons at Bhubaneswar today that the women are forced to join the rebel group to earn money for their family in the absence of apt development and allied job opportunities.

"We have been saying that there should be development in the backward areas of the state. If there is no development the women would not get any jobs. And when they don't get any work they tend to get influenced by anyone. And that is why they would join the Maoists," said Praharaj.

"So far, all those women Maoists who have surrendered themselves have told the police that they get monthly stipends but they have not been getting it. Everybody is in need of money and if the government is not able to give them an employment and do not provide them with basic amenities then one cannot stop them from joining the rebels," she added.

Praharaj further mentioned that Maoists lure women with an assurance of a monthly stipend.

Of late, many Maoist women, on their own part, have surrendered themselves to the police after being sexually harassed or refused of their stipends. (ANI)

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