Sundargarh: An explosives-laden truck was allegedly hijacked by 30-40 suspected Maoists In Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Tuesday.
The incident took place at around noon when the truck, carrying 4 tonnes of gelatine sticks, was heading to a stone quarry in Banko, in the vicinity of the Saranda forests in the adjacent West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, considered the hotbed of Maoists. The armed miscreants reportedly threatened the driver at gunpoint and asked him to drive. They released him at Relhatu area under K Balang police limits around 5 pm.
The consignment worth Rs 1.5 lakh was meant for stone blasting.
Following a complaint by the driver, a special police team launched a search operation in coordination with the CRPF personnel, which was halted at night due to security reasons. The ongoing anti-Maoist operations under K Balang police limits may have prompted the hijacking as a retaliatory act, the sources added.
“We are not ruling out possible Maoist involvement. We are treating the incident with utmost priority given the circumstances of the crime and looting of explosives,” DGP Y B Khurania told TOI.
This came on a day when a Maoist commander from Chhattisgarh carrying a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh, surrendered before Rayagada SP Swathy S Kumar. Punem handed over to police a 9mm pistol and eight cartridges during his surrender.
Also Read: Hardcore Maoist Carrying Rs 4 Lakh Bounty Surrenders Before Odisha Police
