Three wanted Maoists were arrested from two different places of the State on Monday. They were forwarded to court, said the police.
In Koraput, two Maoists identified as Sana Wateka and Navin Praska were arrested for their involvement in at least ten cases of murder and many other serious crimes in the Narayanpatna area, said the police sources.
Similarly, the Bisra police arrested Maoist Elias Munda alias Ajay (21) in the wee hours during a joint combing operation by the local police and their Jharkhand counterparts in the Saranda forest.
Munda, who belongs to Jharkhand, was involved in the murder of Bisra Home Guard Kandri lohar and his son in February 2011. Besides, he was also involved in the landmine blast at K Balang earlier.
In another development, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members of seven panchayats under Bandhugaon block in Koraput district on Monday resigned en masse protesting against the State Government’s apathy towards development of their areas.
All the PRI members submitted their resignation letters to Bandhugaon BDO Damburudhar Mallick, alleging the district administration’s apathetic attitude in carrying out developmental programmes in their panchayats.
Though the PRI members held the State Government responsible, Maoist leader and Andhra-Odisha Border Zonal Special Committee (AOBZSC) secretary Daya’s threat might be a reason behind the resignation, said official sources.
Earlier on December 5, PRI members of seven panchayats of the same block had resigned from their posts on similar grounds.