Chhattisgarh: Nine Naxalites arrested, explosive material recovered in Bijapur

Sources said that the nine Naxalites were arrested in three separate operations by the security forces. The arrested Naxalites were wanted in different cases including burning of a passenger bus on Dec 21 last year in Basaguda and planting IED to harm the security forces.

Bijapur: In a major crackdown against Naxalites, Chhattisgarh Police has arrested nine Naxalites since Friday Jan 12 in Bijapur district of the state, sources said. Sources said that the arrested Naxalites were wanted in many cases including arson and planting IED. According to the police, last Friday, a joint party of Basaguda police station and Cobra 210 had set out on an anti-Naxal operation on behalf of Timmapur Nedra. During the search operation, three militia members were caught by the soldiers. During interrogation they revealed their names as Avalam Soma, Korsa Dasharu, Punem Suresh, an official said.

He said that the captured Naxalites were involved in the burning of a passenger bus in Basaguda on 21 December 2023. In another operation by the security forces, three more Naxalites were caught after an encounter in which one Naxalite was killed on January 12, 2024, in Pusnar forest of Gangalur police station area. After the encounter, the police arrested three Naxalites during the search operation. During interrogation, they revealed their names as Manku Punem, Chhotu Punem and Aaytu Punemu, an official said. One tiffin bomb, 5 kg bomb, switch and 80 meter electric wire have been recovered from the trio.

In the third operation, a joint team of Gangalur police station and CRPF arrested three more militia members during a search operation in Pusnar Metapal for area domination. During the search, 3 militia members from Pusnar were caught with anti-government pamphlet banners. During interrogation, they revealed their names as Sukhram Punem, Suresh Punem, Chhotu Punem. Cases have been registered against all the arrested Naxalites in Basaguda and Gangalur police stations.