Koraput, May 29: Security forces have arrested a senior Maoist operative, Kunjam Hidima alias Ilyas Mohan, from the Petguda forest in Koraput district. Hidma, an Area Committee Member (ACM) of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, was wanted for multiple attacks in Koraput and Malkangiri districts and carried a reward of ₹4 lakh on his head.
The operation was launched late on May 28 based on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of Maoist cadres. A District Voluntary Force (DVF) team, led by Jeypore Sub-Divisional Police Officer Parth Kashyap and AC DIOC Dibya Prasad Parida, initiated the raid deep inside the forest.
As the security forces approached, the Maoists opened fire before retreating into the dense forest. In the subsequent search, Hidma was apprehended, while the remaining insurgents managed to escape.
Originally from Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, Hidma is believed to be deeply involved in Maoist activities across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Police recovered a significant cache from the scene, including an AK-47 rifle, 35 rounds of live ammunition, detonators, gunpowder, radio communication devices, maoist literature and other materials.
