Angul, Dec. 30: A Maoist today surrendered here - a move dubbed to be a significant breakthrough in containing the rebel activities in the district, especially in the Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas.

Angul superintendent of police Rajesh Pandit said Manoj Dehuri, 20, who hailed from Zokub village at Purunakote, was an active member of the Sambalpur-Deogarh-Sundargarh division of the CPI (Maoist).

Dehuri is reported to have provided useful information about the activities of the Maoists in the Satkosia region, where they are trying to set up a base. The youth was inducted into the Maoist organisation about a year ago and operating in the belt stretching from Kalahandi district to Jharkhand.

"Dehuri, who is also married, became disillusioned with the Maoists rather quickly as the rebels continuously exploited women. He was also subjected to ill-treatment along with other Odia cadres," said Pandit.

While Pandit declined to give details of what police extracted from Manoj during his detailed interrogation, he said the rebels were trying to cut a corridor through the Satkosia forest connecting Kalahandi with the neighbouring state of Jharkhand. He described the catch as crucial for future operations against the Maoists in the Satkosia region where they have been active for the last few months. During the last couple of months, there have been reports of two encounters between the rebels and cops.

Police were caught unawares when movement of the Maoists was suddenly detected in Satkosia sanctuary towards the end of September. CRPF and Special Operation Group were pressed into action to flush out the rebels.

A month after that, there was an encounter between the armed ultras and security forces at Chutkei in Angul. The Maoists fled leaving behind their kitbags and posters. Prior to this incident, the rebels had indulged in violence in Angul district, which never had Maoist footprints before.

The continued activities of the rebels in the region is contradictory to the government claim that Maoist violence is on the decline and that the number of districts affected by their activities has reduced significantly.

One held

Vigilance sleuths today arrested Md. Abas Khan for his involvement in hoarding and clandestine business of PDS kerosene in Sambalpur. The accused had stored the kerosene on the premises of a garage along the National Highway-6 in Ainthapali police station limits.