New Delhi: As many as eleven Maoists were arrested from different places in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, police said on Monday.
While six cadres were apprehended in Narayanpur district, five other ultras, four of them allegedly involved in the murder of a journalist in 2013, were held in Bijapur district.
The ultras Punem Gandhi (28), Dodi Chaitu (32), Kakem Lakhmu (28), Punem Lachhu (28) and Dodi Aytu (40) were nabbed last evening by a joint team of CRPF’s 168th battalion and district force from the forests of Basaguda police station area, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg said.
They all are natives of Korsaguda village of Basaguda, located around 450 kms away from here. “During interrogation, Jan militia commander Gandhi and its members – Lakhmu, Lachhu and Chaitu, had admitted to their involvement in the murder of the journalist Sai Reddy on December 6, 2013 near Talperu of Basaguda,” said the ASP.
“The sharp edged weapon allegedly used in that crime was also recovered from their possession,” he added. Another cadre Aytu, who was a Jan militia member, was wanted in two cases, the ASP said.
Besides, they were allegedly involved in multiple offences, including murder, attempt to murder, attacks on police party and others, he added.
40-year-old Reddy, a reporter with Hindi daily ‘Deshbandhu’, was attacked by a small action team of ultras when he had gone to Basaguda from Bijapur to meet his relatives, leading to his death on the spot. In a separate incident, six Naxal militia members – Bhagtu Ram, Sonu Korram, Ramlal Yadav, Bulku Korram, Pohlu Korram and Raju Korram were arrested from Chhotedongar police station area of Narayanpur.
These ultras tried to scare a composite squad of Special Task Force (STF) and district force while it was patrolling in Toyameta forests of the region by bursting crackers to escape from the spot but failed to do so,
Narayanpur ASP Anil Soni said.
Belonging to Kilam Janmlitia group of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), they all were allegedly involved in arranging meetings for their senior leader, providing meals and extending other aid to them, he added.