Bhubaneswar: Security forceson on Thursday called
off the hunt for top Maoist leader Ramakrishna in the dense
forests of Orissa`s Koraput district after they failed to
locate him.
"We have not been able to locate Ramakrishna so far,"
Deputy Inspector General, South-Western Range, Soumendra
Priyadarshi told PTI over phone.
The Orissa police, the CRPF and Andhra Pradesh`s Grey
Hounds had launched the joint operation 4 days ago to nab
Ramakrishna who is a central committee member and ranks third
in Maoist hierarchy.
According to intelligence information, he was hiding in
the jungles of Narayanpatna area in the district.
The security forces used a helicopter and also searched
nearby areas for him but without success.
"He was not found anywhere. He could have taken shelter
in some tribal village," a senior police officer engaged in
the operations said.
The police launched the search from Semiliguda area after
the arrest of Ramakrishna`s wife Padma who carried a reward of
Rs 2 lakh on her head.
Padma was apprehended when she went to Semiliguda to
meet her husband and son.
According to top police sources, Ramakrishna, with his
18-year-old son Prithvi, were active in Narayanpatna area as
the outfit was trying to declare the area a `liberated zone`.
Besides Ramakrishna, the police suspect a few more senior
Maoist leaders might be present in Orissa, the sources said.
PTI
