In a significant blow to Maoist operations, Chhattisgarh Police, in collaboration with the E-30 and D-62 units of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), seized a large cache of Maoist materials in the dense jungles near Pandaripani-Sikasar village, under the Menpur police station area along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.
The operation, conducted on August 12, 2025, was launched based on specific intelligence inputs, targeting a suspected Maoist hideout in the Gariaband district, close to Odisha’s Nuapada district. During the search, security forces uncovered a buried stockpile containing six pressure cookers intended for manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), a colour printer, medicines, and Maoist literature. The recovered items are believed to belong to the SDKE division (Sunabeda-Dharamabandha-Kholibhitar) of the Maoist organisation, indicating plans for a major explosive attack in the region. The operation took place near the Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, a known Maoist stronghold due to its remote and forested terrain.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dhirendra Kumar Patel, Gariaband, confirmed the seizure and highlighted the ongoing combing operations to neutralise further threats. “The recovery of these materials has thwarted a potential large-scale attack,” Patel stated. Authorities suspect the Maoists were planning a significant disruption in the region, leveraging the dense forest cover for concealment.
The successful operation underscores the persistent efforts of security forces to curb Maoist activities along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, a hotspot for insurgent operations. Comb operations have been intensified in the area to locate additional hideouts and prevent any retaliatory actions by the Maoists.
