Overview

• On August 15, Tumudibandha police at Rampur Square intercepted a pickup van en route from Ganjam to Kalahandi and uncovered a hidden cache in a Jagannathpur cattle shed
• Authorities recovered about 9–10 tonnes of explosives, including gelatin sticks, 100 kg of apex buster, 4,000 detonators, wiring, two vehicles, six mobile phones and ₹4 lakh in cash
• Three men—Alok Kumar Patra, Hemant Sethi and Shakti Ranjan Dash—were detained during the operation and remain in custody
• Police allege that Hemant Sethi procured bulk explosives using fake GST invoices and supplied them to stone-quarry and crusher operators
• Anti-Naxal units have launched an intelligence-driven probe into sourcing and distribution channels to assess links between mining firms and Maoist groups