Maoist courier held in Chhattisgarh

A suspected Maoist courier was arrested in Chhattigsarh's Rajnandgaon district for allegedly supplying commodities of daily use and medicines to a naxal leader, police said today.

Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Ashwani Verma (34) from Kodenawagaon village road in Khairagarh area of the district yesterday while he was heading towards Deori on his motorcycle along with the materials meant for ultras, a local police official said.

Police were monitoring movements of Verma, a native of Marutola village in the area, after receiving inputs that he was allegedly working for the urban network of Maoists and supplying materials to them, he said.

A police team lying in wait arrested him after a brief chase, he said.

A 24 metre-long red fabric, paint, and paint brushes, 60 batteries, six torches, materials of daily use and medicines, surgical items etc were recovered from Verma's possession, he said.

Police claimed Verma has disclosed that he had received the list of materials from naxal commander Rakesh of 'vistaar(expansion)platoon no. 3'.

The official said some more Maoist operatives active in the plain and urban areas of Khairagarh could be arrested soon.

Security forces have stepped up their operations from the last couple of months in the bordering region of the district adjoining Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, after reports emerged that naxalswere trying toexpandtheir base in Rajnandgaon (Chhattisagrh), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh) and Gondia (Maharashtra) tri-junction forests.

The Maoists have set up 'vistaar platoon' to expand their base in this region, police said.