A youth, who was handed over to police by the locals near Gajamundia forest of Deuli village in Khordha district on suspicion of having links with Leftwing extremists, is not a Maoist, clarified police here on Friday.
The youth identified as Suresh Panharia is a resident of Boden block of Nuapada district and works as a labourer in a brick-kiln in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. He has no links with Maoists, informed Central Range IG Soumendra Priyadarshi.
“The preliminary investigation following interrogation and verification suggested that the suspected youth is not a Maoist,” Priyadarshi said adding that Suresh along with his two associates was trying to hide in an unidentified location.
“After the incident was reported in media, we had sent a team of police to the spot. The siezed items including a blanket and container recovered from the site are all necessary for a common man. However, further verification would continu,” he said.
A person belonging to Malkangiri or Nuapada cannot be always considered as a Maoist. As the youth belongs to Nuapada and he was not speaking coherently, the locals suspected him to be a Maoist, Priyadarshi told mediapersons.
He also clarified on combing operation launched in Gajamundia forest and said a team of trained police personnel was sent to the area for investigation. Notably, the suspected youth was caught by the locals while he was buying some grocery items from a local market at Deuli village in Gajamundia forest under the Begunia police station on Thursday. They later handed over the youth to the police. Initial reports said that the youth was purchasing grocery items for the Maoists.