Maoist wanted in several criminal cases held

BHUBANESWAR - A member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, wanted in several criminal cases, was arrested in Orissa’s Rayagada district Monday, police said.

Pratap Patianga, the 20-year-old rebel, was arrested from Chandrapur police station area in Rayagada, about 390 km from here.

He was a resident of Kangadima village and involved in attacks on local government buildings and several villagers suspecting them to be police informers, Superintendent of Police Anoop Krishna told IANS.

Patianga was closely associated with Azad and Nikhil, prominent Maoist leaders operating in the state, Krishna said.