Bhubaneswar: The Gariaband encounter in Chhattisgarh saw two senior Odisha state committee member of CPI (Maoist) – Manoj, also known as Modem Balakrishna, and Pramod alias Pandu alias Alvala Chandrahas – being neutralised along with 8 other rebels on Thursday afternoon.
The duo was involved in a series of violence in Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal and Nayagarh over the past 20 years and carried bounties of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 20 lakh, respectively, in Odisha.
According to police sources, Balakrishna was in charge of the Maoists’ Odisha State Committee and a member of the group’s central committee. Pramod was the second-in-command, holding the position of KKBN (Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh division) secretary.
Balakrishna, ranked as the top 7 commander in the banned outfit, was part of the audacious midnight attack on February 15, 2008, when around 500 Maoists laid siege to Nayagarh town and massacred 14 people, including 13 policemen, before looting the district armoury. He was also a key players in the Balimela reservoir boat ambush, four months later on June 29, in which 37 Greyhounds commandos of Andhra Pradesh Police were killed.
“The two were part of Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada Division and their killings are a huge blow to Maoist activities in Odisha. Apart from bordering areas in Chhattisgarh, anti-Maoist operations will also be intensified in Kandhamal,” ADG (Operations) of Odisha Police Sanjeeb Panda was quoted as saying.
Balakrishna, a native of Warangal district in AP, was under Odisha police’ radar since the elimination of central committee member Chalapathi in January this year, which had dealt a body blow to Mainpur-Nuapada division. The successful anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh’s Kularighat reserve forest area had caused significant damage to the KKBN division.
