Orissa Police arrest CRPF official for spying for Maoists

ROURKELA - Orissa Police have taken an official of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) into their custody for spying for the Maoists.

Satyaban Bhoi, who worked with in the intelligence wing of the CRPF, was posted with the 19th battalion of the CRPF in Orissa’s Bisra District.

Along with Bhoi, a mechanic named Tarun Das was also arrested. Das is the son of local priest in Bisra.

Das has been charged with supplying explosives and other materials to the ultras and also repairing vehicles used by them.

After receiving sufficient information, the police first arrested Das and recovered some gelatine sticks, detonators and Maoist posters from his garage.

Bhoi was later picked up on a tip off provided by Das during his interrogation.

Rourkela Superintendent of Police (SP) Diptesh Pattnaik said the presence of spies in the CRPF indicated the reach of the Maoists in the area.

“When we received the information, we immediately arrested the official and also seized evidence and many documents from the priest’s son. We also recovered some explosives from Das. We are conducting more such investigations and also looking in whether other people are also involved in this,” said Pattnaik.

Pattnaik revealed that Bhoi, who hails from Kesinga area in Orissa’s Kalahandi District, was passing on security-related information to Maoists in Orissa and Jharkhand through Das.

The two accused are being interrogated further to find out more details of their involvement with Maoist groups. (ANI)