The Odisha Police is upbeat about apprehending top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda “soon” after eliminating his close associate Pradip Majhi alias Gobind in a fierce encounter on Monday.
“We will get Sabyasachi Panda soon as police are very close to him,” Director General of Police (DGP) Prakash Mishra told reporters while describing Pradip’s killing as a “big setback” for Panda’s Odisha Maobadi Party (OMP) in which he was the military in-charge.
The OMP was set up by Panda after his expulsion from CPI (Maoist) last year. Mishra said Panda was not present at the spot of the encounter, but he was perhaps in a nearby area.
Indicating that police would not harm Panda if he chose to surrender, Mishra said Panda and his group have remained adamant and rejected repeated requests by the police to give up arms.
“OMP has been reduced to a small group and is not attacking police now. But Panda is found regrouping instead of making any move to lay down arms,” Mishra said, adding that the OMP cadres are hiding in jungles and active in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts. PNS