Maoist held in Odisha for TDP leaders' killing

Koraput (Odisha): A hardcore Maoist was arrested from Odisha's Koraput district on Friday in connection with the killing of two TDP leaders in Andhra Pradesh in 2018, police said.

The Maoist identified as Dambaru Khila was arrested from Kodikhal village, Koraput Superintendent of Police, Kanwar Vishal Singh, said.

The Koraput police picked up Khila from his house following a tip-off. Two mobile phones were seized from him, the SP said.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA of Araku constituency, Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former TDP MLA Siveri Soma were killed by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) near Livitiputta in Andhra Pradesh on September 23 last year, he said.

Steps are being taken to hand over Khila to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the murder case, Singh said.

During investigation, the NIA had gathered information about the alleged role of Khila in the killing of the TDP leaders and was trying to nab him, the police said.