Two hardcore Maoists, including a woman, who were allegedly involved in the abduction of IAS officer R Vineel Krishna in 2011, have been arrested in Odisha's Malkangiri district, police said on Friday.



The two ultras were nabbed during a combing operation by personnel of the elite special operation group (SOG) and district voluntary force (DVF) in a forest of Chitrakonda last evening, superintendent of police, Akhileswar Singh said.

"One of rebels is a woman Maoist from Andhra-Odisha border area committee. She was identified as Bhagya alias Satyabati (40) and had been working under Korkunda Maoist dal for the last about 12 years", he said.

The other ultra was identified as Undaliam Bangaraya (50), a hardcore Maoist working under Korkunda Maoist Dal in the region, he said.

The two hardcore Maoists were involved in the abduction of the then Malkangiri district Collector R Vineel Krishna in 2011, attacks on pipiline of a private steel company and on the police force, police said.

Andhra Pradesh government had announced Rs. 4 lakh as reward on the head of the woman Maoist, a senior police officer said.