4 Naxals arrested in Chhattisgarh's poll-bound Dantewada

Four Naxals were arrested on Sunday from separate places in poll-bound Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

Two of them were held from within Farspal police station limits while the others were caught in Geedam and Katekalyan, an official said.

Dantewada Assembly bypoll is scheduled for September 23 and the arrests came while the District Reserve Guard and Danteshwari Fighters, an all-woman anti-Naxal police unit, were carrying out a joint patrol, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.

He identified the arrested cadre as Bhime Kowasi (20), a woman member of Mirtur LOS (local organisation squad) with Rs 1 lakh reward on her head, and janmilitia member Ursa Mithu (20), from Kachhe valley, adding that 11 Maoist posters and a set of combat uniforms were seized.

In a separate operation, a woman janmilitia member Attami Shanti (18), was arrested from Geedam weekly market when she arrived there to keep an eye on troop movements, the SP said.

The fourth arrest was that of Lakhma Podiyam (28) who was arrested from Parcheli Bandipara village road, he said.

The Dantewada bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi in a Naxal attack in April this year.