Naxals carrying reward of lakhs on their heads arrested

Two Naxals, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively on their heads, were arrested in Chhattisgarh, police said Monday.

Explosives, a firearm and banners and posters calling for a boycott of the Lok Sabha elections, were recovered from them, police said.

The two were identified as Ajit Modiyam (24) and Ramsu Kunjam (22). They were apprehended by a team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) in Dhamtari district from the forest of Khallari police station limits Sunday, a police official said.

A patrolling team was cordoning off a forest patch between Aamjhar and Khallari villages, located around 150 km from the state capital Raipur, when it spotted an electric wire connection laid by naxals to trigger an IED blast, he said.

While encircling the spot, security forces rounded up the two suspects who were trying to escape, he said.

As many as 17 cases of naxal-related incidents, including attacks on police teams and murder, were registered against Modiyam who was active as Sitnadi Area Commander of Maoists, the official said. Modiyam was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, he added.

Five naxal-related cases were registered against Kunjam who was a member of Sitanadi area committee and was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, he said.

Three tiffin bombs, one muzzle loading gun, Maoist banners and posters in which they had urged people to boycott Lok Sabha polls were recovered from them, he said.

The bombs were meant to target security forces during polls, he added.

Elections to 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state will be held in three phases on April 11, April 18 and April 23.