Orissa seals border with Chhattisgarh

The tribals in the border areas, in fact, have already been quoted by the local media in Malkangiri as saying that they had seen a group of naxals near the Sabri river a day after the Dantewada incident. The river divides Malkangiri and Dantewada districts.

“We have received intelligence report from Chhattisgarh that the naxalites responsible for the Dantewada incident may have sneaked into Malkangiri. Therefore, a red alert has already been issued in the district. Besides, combing operations have been intensified in Malkangiri as well as in the neighbouring tribal-dominated district of Koraput,” a highly placed source in the state home department here told Deccan Herald on Saturday. Air surveillance is also being conducted by the security personnel with the help of two helicopters over the southern Orissa districts, particularly the two districts of Malkangiri and Koraput.

Meanwhile, the Malkangir police have arrested a 25-year-old Bonda tribal youth, Chandra Kichapadia, from Khemaguru village of the district on Friday for his suspected links with the Maoists who had killed eleven jawans of the elite special operation group (SOG) of the Orissa police in neighbouring Koraput district just one day before the Dantewada incident.
During the raid in his house, the police recovered as many as 80 electronic detonators, 125 grams of gelatine and 20 bundles of wires, all used for making explosives.