Apprehending influx of Maoists from Chhattisgarh a day after the carnage in Sukma, the Odisha Police on Tuesday sealed the border with the neighbouring State and sounded a high alert in the Malkangiri district. In a similar step, Madhya Pradesh Police too has issued a high alert in Balaghat district, bordering Chhattisgarh.
The Odisha Police deployed its elite anti-Maoist Special Operation Group, District Voluntary Force (DVF) and jawans of the CRPF and the BSF to ensure there was no influx of the ultras in Odisha, State DGP K.B. Singh said.
Mr. Singh said there was every possibility of Maoist ultras preferring to take shelter in Odisha as Maharashtra has already sealed its border with Chhattisgarh.
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“The central forces and State police have been told to undertake area domination exercise and flush out Maoist rebels, if any,” the DGP told reporters.
Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said, “We have sounded a high-alert in the border areas. The whole district has also been put on extra vigil.”
Monitoring has been intensified in all entry and exit points at the bordering areas. Besides, instructions have been given to police officers and combing police parties to coordinate with their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh, he said.
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A similar alert has also been sounded along the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), police said.
M.P. Police intensifies patrolling
In the wake of the Sukma attack, Madhya Pradesh Police has also issued a high alert in the Maoist-affected Balaghat district, a senior official said on Tuesday.
“The areas under Balaghat police range are bordering with the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. So, we have put the security forces on high alert,” Inspector-General (Balaghat Range) G. Janardan told PTI on Tuesday.
He said the patrolling along the borders has been intensified to check the activities of Naxals.
“This area has also been Naxal-affected and the police has intensified patrolling at the borders of Kawardha and Rajnandgaon districts of Chhattisgarh and Gondia district of Maharashtra,” Mr. Janardan added.