In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, security forces have arrested a dreaded Maoist leader, Kunjam Hidma, from the dense Petaguda forests of Koraput district. The arrest, made after an exchange of fire, is being described as a major blow to the outlawed CPI (Maoist) outfit.
Koraput Superintendent of Police Rohit Verma said that the operation was launched late on May 28 after intelligence inputs indicated the presence of Maoist cadres near the Bypassguda area under Baipariguda police limits. A joint team of the District Voluntary Force (DVF), led by Jeypore SDPO Parth Kashyap, was deployed for the mission.
“In the early hours of Thursday, our team spotted Maoists camped on a hilltop. When the forces moved in, the Maoists opened fire and fled into the jungle. The team responded with controlled fire in self-defence,” said SP Verma.
During a subsequent search, one Maoist cadre was found hiding in nearby bushes and was taken into custody. He was later identified as Kunjam Hidma, a resident of Bijepur in Chhattisgarh and an Area Committee Member (ACM) of the banned CPI (Maoist).
Arms and ammunition recovered
Police recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the spot, including an AK-47 assault rifle, suggesting Hidma may have been preparing for a major operation.
Hidma is reportedly involved in at least seven major violent incidents in Odisha and is also suspected to have operated across Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, participating in several anti-national and anti-government activities. His arrest is seen as a major dent to the Maoist network operating in the tri-junction region of the three states.
The police have begun interrogation to extract further information about his associates, arms dumps, and hideouts. “This arrest will significantly help weaken the Maoist presence in the region,” the SP said.
