Thaindian News

Bhubaneswar, Jan 24 (IANS) Dhiren Mahato, one of Odisha’s top Maoist leaders, was arrested Tuesday in the state’s Bargarh district, police said.

Dhiren Mahato alias Mahru Mahato alias Girish, 47, was nabbed from a village under the Attabira police station, over 350 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, during a search, a police officer told IANS.

Mahato was the second in command of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist’s (CPI-Maoist) Odisha unit. He was a member of the state organising committee of the CPI-Maoist.

Police also recovered a loaded revolver, 12 live cartridges, one campass, around Rs.2,000 in cash and maps of the state.

Maoist literature and leaflets too were found in his possession, he said.

Mahato was wanted in dozens of criminal cases both in Odisha and neighbouring Jharkhand. In Odisha alone, he faces about 30 criminal cases, including murder, abduction, extortion, blast, arson and loot.

“We are seeking the help of the Jharkhand government to get details of the cases registered against him in that state,” he said.

Mahato, a native of Nawadihi village of Jharkhand’s Giridih district, was earlier arrested in that state in 2007. However, he managed to escape with some of his supporters from the Chainbasa jail in West Singhbhum district in January last year.

After staying for a few months in the forests of Odisha-Jharkhand border, he sneaked into western Odisha and was looking after the Maoist organisation in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Deogarh and Sundergarh districts.