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| The firearms seized by police in Raighati forest on Sunday. Telegraph picture |
Jajpur, Jan. 3: A day after a fierce encounter took place in Raighati forest in Tomka police limits in the district resulting in the death of five Maoists, state police and Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel stepped up search operations in the area. But no more bodies or ammunition were recovered.
Jajpur SP D.S. Kuttey said the search operation in Raighati and nearby forested areas would continue for a few more days, as police expects to recover more bodies or ammunition.
As the massive search operation involving a large force of state police and SOG personnel was conducted, fear and uneasy calm prevailed in many villages.
Combing operation was stepped up in the area today and the perimeter was sealed, the SP said, adding that more Maoists may have been injured yesterday.
Bodies of the deceased Maoists have been identified as squadron commander of Kalinga Nagar division Dhiren (25), area committee member Baby (24), sepoys Sabitri (23) and Sujata (24) and a 20-year-old woman sepoy from Baligotha village.
The deceased were mostly from Jajpur and neighbouring Keonjhar district. Tamka-Kaliapani, Raighati and Tungeisuni area fall in the Kalinga Nagar divisional committee of the CPI (Maoist). Post-mortem was conducted on all five Maoists at Danagadi Community Health Centre today.
The bodies would be kept in the mortuary for 48 hours, district police sources said.
“We have sent the photographs of the bodies to all police stations in Keonjhar and Jajpur district. They will be pasted at public places. Efforts are also on to establish the real identity of the dead rather than the names they were known by in the Maoist organisation,” the SP said.
He added that the bodies would be kept at the mortuary for two more days so that family members could come and identify the bodies.
The five Maoists were killed in a fierce gun battle with security forces in Raighati forest on Sunday.
Altogether 12 rifles, including an SLR and more ammunition were seized from the encounter site.
