Chhattisgarh: 15 Naxals, two of them carrying cash reward arrested
Fifteen Naxals, two of them carrying cash rewards, were arrested from two places in Chhattisgarh's Maoist hotbed Sukma district, police said on Thursday. The arrests were significant as they came almost eight days after nine personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in an IED blast when suspected Maoists blew up their mine-protected vehicle in Sukma, a senior police official said.
Arrested Naxals were not involved in the attack on CRPF
Police said that the arrested Naxals were not involved in the last week's attack on the CRPF, but were involved in the attack on the police team in which two personnel were killed in February During a search operation, the ultras, including two women, were arrested from a forest in Bhejji area and another cadre was caught from the district's Pushpal area yesterday.
Ultras were nabbed by joint team of forces
A joint team of the Special Task Force (STF), the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the District Force (DF) and the CRPF was involved in the operation carried out in Bhejji to nab the ultras. Besides, a combined squad of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and DF nabbed the rebels in Pushpal area, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar range) P Sundarraj.
Arrested cadres were involved in the attack on police team
The cadres were allegedly involved in the attack on a police team in Elarmadgu forest last month, in which two personnel were killed, and six others were injured. They were also involved in another incident on the same day, in which a laborer was killed, and ten construction-related equipment and vehicles engaged in road laying work were torched, the DIG said.
Arrested cadres were mostly lower rung members of outlawed CPI(M)
Of the arrested Naxals, Sodhi Pojja, active head of Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan was carrying a reward of Rs. 1 lakh on his head. Meanwhile, the two women cadres were working as members of the local guerrilla squad in Kistaram and the medical team of Maoists. The other arrested cadres were lower rung members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).
