Top Maoist leader Pradip Majhi and 'military in-charge' of Odisha Maobadi Party(OMP) of Sabyasachi Panda was killed in a fierce encounter with police in Odisha's Gajapati district today.

Majhi (25) was a divisional committee member and was operating as the deputy to Panda who had formed OMP last year, Director General of Police Prakash Mishra told newsmen in Bhubaneswar.

A wanted Maoist, he had a total 46 cases pending against him. Majhi, who was active in Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada and Kandhamal and was allegedly involved in the abduction of two Italian tourists, attacks on Nayagarh armoury and R Udaigiri police station, killing of VHP leader Swamy Laxmanananda Saraswati in 2008 besides two homeguards and torching of mobile phone towers.

Describing the killing of Majhi as a major success for the police and big setback for OMP, Mishra said police would catch Panda soon. "We will get Sabyasachi Panda soon as police are very close to him."

Gajapati Superintendent of Police C S Meena said in Parlakhemundi that district voluntary force personnel of Gajapati and Ganjam districts had launched a joint raid last night in Karanjaguda forests near Kendupada under Mohana police station following a tip off.

A heavy exchange of fire erupted with the ultras and during ground search in the area today police found a body.

"On verification, the deceased was identified as Pradip Majhi, a native of Karadapada under Gudari police station of Rayagada district," he said adding other Maoists managed to escape.

An Italian-made pistol, two loaded magazines, one SBML Gun, a kit bag with food, personal belongings and Maoist literature were found at the site, Meena added.

Mishra said Panda was not present at the spot of the encounter but was likely to have been in a nearby area given that his men were fighting the police.

He said Panda and his group had rejected requests by police to surrender and were now hiding in jungles of the four districts in which OMP was active.

"OMP has been reduced to a small group and is not attacking police now. But Panda is found re-grouping instead of making any move to lay down arms ... If they (OMP) do not abjure arms, we will do our duty and ensure that the state is Maoist-free," he said.
OMP, though posessing a number of modern arms like AK47s and SLRs, rarely attacked security personnel as they knew that any attack on police at this juncture would inflict big loss on them.

"One cannot, however, say that the Panda group has links with any foreign terrorist outfit though some Italian and Chinese arms were recovered from them," the DGP said.

Majhi, he said, had worked as deputy of top Maoist leaders Uday and Azad, both of whom were now in prison, the DGP said.

He had joined Odisha Chatra Manch of CPI(Maoist) in 2003 when he was a student of class VIII, he added.