Orissa cops say arrested Maoist cadre has links with local politicians

Ghasi,45,and next to secretary of AOBSZC Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna was arrested somewhere between Semiliguda and Narayanpatna area of Koraput on Monday following alerts by the Andhra Pradesh Special Intelligence Bureau and then interrogated by cops for hours together.

Ghasi,who was described by the interrogating cops as the “military and action man” of the Red brigade,was active in Orissa-Andhra border since last 20 years. He was also the spokesperson for Koraput-Srikakulam division of CPI (Maoist) party.

“During interrogation he has given us a long list of local politicians,traders and officials who used to patronise him. He used to collect Rs 50-60 lakh a month. His struck terror in the hearts of local traders so much that youths used to extort money in his name without his knowledge,” an interrogating official said. The official said it would take some time to verify the allegations of the arrested Maoist’s nexus with local politicians.

Ghasi,who belongs to a village near Araku valley in Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh joined the Maoist movement long ago and worked for the East Godavari division. Though he was a member of the AOBSZC,he was recently demoted to the divisional committee following some major differences in the party a year ago. “He is an expert in organisation part of the CPI(Maoist) and was an important player in the hierarchy as the organisation part was considered more important than the military operations of the party sometimes ago. He is also considered as a key military strategist,” said a senior police official.

Police officials said Ghasi’s footprint was there almost all major Maoist operations in Orissa. “From the R Udaygiri jailbreak in Gajapati district in 2006 to the raid Koraput police armoury in 2004 and the Nayagarh police armoury attack in 2008,he is involved. He remembers only 38 incidents,but we gues it would be more than 100,” said a Orissa police official. Ghasi’s wife Kavithakka,secretary of Andhra-Orissa Border Committee,had surrendered before the Andhra cops in 2007.

The arrest is significant as it comes about a month and a half after the release of Malkangiri district collector Vineel Krishna from the clutches of the Maoists following Orissa agreeing to halt combing operations.

Incidentally,Ghasi’s arrest came just a week after his aides Pallojula Parmeswara Rao alias Nandu alias Papanna and Korukonda Dalam Member Jagan of Andhra-Orissa Border(AOB) Committee,surrendered before Vizag SP Vineet Brijlal on March 28.

Meanwhile,Prof Radha Mohan and journalist K Sudhakar Patnaik,who have been designated by the Government to review cases against tribals and members of Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha(CMAS) during the peace talks with Maoists in February this year,urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik to instruct the BSF,the police and the district administration authorities to produce Ghasi before a magistrate at the earliest.

“We have come to know that Ghasi was taken into custody in the evening of 3rd April 2011 near Pendajam village of Dudhari Panchayat near Semiliguda town in Orissa by a combing party of the Border Security Force. We have news that he is being detained at some secret location near Semiliguda and has not been produced before a magistrate till now. While the security forces,as per the law,have time till 7 pm for producing him before a magistrate,we are afraid that he would not be produced unless pressure is built on them for the same. We are also afraid that if he is detained beyond the legal period,his life may be in danger which would be a gross violation of the rule of law that binds all of us as citizens of this democracy,” Patnaik and Radhamohan wrote in an e-mail to the chief minister.