BHUBANESWAR: After spending a week in the Nayagarh Sub-Jail, dreaded Maoist Dunna Keshava Rao alias Azad was shifted to the Special Jail, Jharpada here in the City on Monday. Amidst tight security, Azad was transferred to the prison which plays host to a number of other Maoists such as Subhashree Panda (alias Mili), Ashutosh and Kishore Jena. Security concerns were cited for his transfer. On June 5, Azad was remanded in judicial custody and sent to the Nayagarh prison by the local SDJM after a 72-hour remand by Crime Branch of State Police. However, the Nayagarh police administration was not too keen to keep Azad in the prison given his stature and the adequate security cover needed for such a high-profile inmate. The Nayagarh Sub-Jail is about 8 km from the city and the number of personnel guarding the prison is very low compared to other jails. Considering the fact that Azad had surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh Police on May 19 and was likely to share valuable information about the Maoist Party with the police, concerns over his security were justified. In fact, the day Azad was remanded in judicial custody, the district police had made moves for his transfer. The number one guerilla leader of CPI (Maoist) in Orissa, Azad’s transfer will pose challenges for the prison authorities and Commissionerate Police too since he would have to be produced before the Nayagarh court for judicial processes and trial when it commences. “We will have to arrange special escort during movement of the rebel since he is likely to be under watch by the Maoists,” a senior police official said. The solution, however, lies in video conferencing method through which production of the offenders is being held. A senior officer of the State Prisons Directorate said, the option could be explored for Azad given his profile. The Special Jail authorities said existing security at the prison would be adequate for Azad and other Maoist members. The Jharpada jail has at least 40 warders and two dozen special security force. Azad is accused in a host of Maoist violence cases in Orissa, including the 2008 attacks on Nayagarh police posts and armoury and assassination of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati later that year in Kandhamal district which triggered communal violence in the State.
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