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14 Maoists, carrying ₹41 lakh bounty on their head, arrested in Bijapur: Police
The Bijapur police said that the attested Maoists included six women and eight men who were part of the military company number 2’ and ‘Gangaloor area committee of the CPI (Maoist)
Fourteen Maoists, including 11 carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹41 lakh on their heads, were arrested in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday, police said.
A statement issued by the Bijapur police said that the attested Maoists included six women and eight men who were part of the military company number 2’ and ‘Gangaloor area committee of the CPI (Maoist).
“They were held on Sunday from forests of Mutvendi and Pidia villages under Gangaloor police station limits by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and district police,” the statement said.
“Eleven of the 14 Naxalites were carrying cumulative reward of ₹41 lakh. These include Renu Kovasi, a member of military company number 2, and Mangli Avlam of Gangaloor area committee with reward of ₹8 lakh each,” the release said.
“Gangaloor area committee members Bichchem Uika, Sharmila Kursam and Lakshmi Tati were carrying rewards of ₹5 lakh each. Four cadres had bounties of ₹2 lakh each and two had rewards of ₹1 lakh each,” it added.
Based on their questioning, four tiffin bombs, two cooker bombs, detonators, cordex wire, gelatin sticks, firecrackers and other Maoists-related materials concealed by them were recovered, the release said.
On Friday, 12 Maoists were killed in a 12-hour long operation in the forests of Pidia village and several persons rounded up from the site on suspicion.
Police are yet to disclose the details of those rounded up. Meanwhile, villagers and activists have alleged that Friday’s encounter was fake. They claimed that those killed were villagers who had gone to pluck tendu leaves.
Police have refuted these allegations and said the deceased were Maoists carrying cash rewards on their heads.
