Sabyasachi Panda expelled from CPI-Maoist

Communist Party of India - Marxist central committee has expelled Sabyasachi Panda, believed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping of two Italians in Odisha, for his alleged 'inimical stand' and open criticism of the leadership 'with an evil intention'.

Panda, who was in charge of the outfit's Odisha state committee, was termed a 'renegade' by the CPI-Maoist central committee.

The committee said, ''In the most abominable, crooked and conspiratorial manner, he betrayed the party revolution and the great cause of the toiling masses.''

The CPI-Maoist statement was signed by its politburo member Katakam Sudarshan (alias Anand).

It said Panda's 16-page letter to the outfit's general secretary Ganapathy, which was released to the media recently, had ''the evil intention of liquidating the party and the revolutionary movement.''

Panda is wanted by the police in connection with several cases.

He is alleged to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Italian tour operator Paulo Bosusco and tourist Claudio Colangelo last year. He is also one of the prime accused in the August 2008 killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxmananda Saraswati in Kandhamal.