Gajapati Superintendent of Police Amitendra Nath Sinha, who is camping at R Udayagiri since yesterday, led the police force to clear the R Udayagiri-Berhampur road today. The road was blocked by the Maoists with tree logs before their operation. No land mines were found in the entire area blocked by the extremists.

The police have defused a live bomb inside the R Udayagiri police station today.

The bomb was hidden under the ransacked paper bundles, Mr Sinha said.

He said at least 500 extremists took over the town in the wee hours yesterday and outnumbered the police force.

There was only one platoon of police force in the OSAP barrack and it helped the extremists to go on rampage attacking the government establishments.

Three jawans were killed and five injured during an exchange of fire between the police force and the Maoists which continued for more than three hours.

The left ultras also attacked the Sub Jail and freed all the 40 prisoners.

Basant Kumar Singh, the sole prisoner now lodged in the jail, said the Maoists entered the Sub Jail and released all the prisoners and took them in a vehicle about one kilometer away.

Singh said he pretended loose motion and escaped from their clutch.

He later ran towards R Udayagiri and entered the Sub Jail.

UNI