Odisha Police intensifies ops in jungle, asks people not to shelter Maoists

Odisha Police intensified its anti-naxal operations in Kandhamal district to arrest more Maoists and urged people not to provide shelter to injured red rebels, a senior officer said. His comment came after the security forces neutralised four Maoists, including Ganesh Uike (69), who carried a Rs 1.2 crore bounty on his head, on Thursday. Additional DGP (anti-naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda on Friday said security forces were carrying out combing operations in the forest within Chakapada police station limits, bordering Ganjam district, with the hope of arresting more Maoists who might have been injured during Thursday's operations. "We appeal to local people not to give shelter to such injured persons. They might be Maoists hailing from Chhattisgarh," Panda told reporters. He added that more personnel from the joint force, comprising the Odisha Special Operations Group (SOG), CRPF, BSF and District Voluntary Force (DVF), have been deployed to strengthen the ongoing operations in th