The Left wing extremists (LWEs) damaged a beat house and torched a jeep, which were being used for anti-poaching operations in Nayagarh Forest Division (Territorial) late on Thursday night.
According to sources in the State police, a three-member LWE group reached the beat house at Jhuti Sahi in Gania block on Thursday night and asked the forest staff to vacate the place. Subsequently, they ransacked the camp and torched a jeep.
The beat house was part of Satkoshia Tiger Reserve where ultras were trying to create a corridor.
Last year, Naxal violence was recorded in Purunakote area of Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary. The CPI (Maoist) had long been attempting to make their presence felt in forested region of Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh region.
Meanwhile, disenchanted by the Maoist ideology, a female cadre of CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the Kalahandi Police on Friday.
The surrendered cadre identified as Rekha Majhi was inducted in the organisation in 2011. She was part of th LWEs groups operating in Sadar, Biswanath, Lanjigarh, Bijepur and Thuamul Rampur, said Brijesh Kumar Rai, Kalahandi Superintendent of Police, on Friday.
According to Mr. Rai, the female cadre was subjected to mental and sexual harassment by senior cadres.
“During her short stint in the Naxal organisation, she had met central committee member Modem Balakrishna alias Manoj who was leading Bansadhara Ghumsur, Nagabali and Niyamgiri division. The cadre had undergone training in Khanduamali reserve forest area,” said Kalahandi SP.
“Rekha told police that female cadres were being harassed by senior leaders. The ideology of CPI (Maoist) has been diluted and the cadres were opposing development works in underdeveloped areas,” he said.
