Sukma: Police on Monday said seven Naxalites, including one dreaded militant with a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, were arrested in the insurgency-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday.
The security forces claimed the arrest of Maoist cadres in the area came as success before the Lok Sabha election on April 19.
The District Superintendent of Police (SP), Kiran Chavan, said that the security forces were conducting a search operation in the Kistram area, and the Naxalites were caught during that time.
The accused were identified as Madvi Deva alias Dinesh Madvi, Banjam Pojja, Kawasi alias Wando Ayata, Kalmu Ganga, Kalmu Sanna, Nuppo Pojja, and Rawa Joga, the SP confirmed.
The SP further said that the police team had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for Kawasi, alias Wando Ayata, who was the president of Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan(DAKMS), which is the apex body of the Maoists in the area and functions under the Tatamgudu Revolutionary People's Council (RPC).
Banjam Pojja was the president of the Padiyaro family committee of the illegal organisation and the rest were working for the Naxal organisation.
A muzzle-loading gun, a 3-kg black powder explosive, an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing 8-kg, a tiffin bomb weighing 3-kg, and two gelatin sticks were recovered from the Naxalites, the police said.