Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120452830300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Maoists spotted in city

Special Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR: Close on the heel of surfacing of Maoist posters, appearance of suspected Maoists in the city on Tuesday has created panic among the people living in the vicinity of Chandaka elephant sanctuary.

A group of armed men, suspected to be Maoists, were spotted by the residents of Rental Colony at around 10.30 p.m. Those who saw the suspected extremists immediately informed the police and a search operation was launched soon. However, there was no trace of the group till Wednesday evening. According to sources, the extremists who were wearing masks slipped into the nearby forest under the cover of darkness. A combing operation was going on in the area and the police were trying to figure out if the men who appeared in the area were actually Maoists.