At least four Maoist cadre including a self-styled military company member, who was allegedly involved in Bastar region’s Tadmetla incident in which 76 troopers were killed in April 2010, were arrested after a gun battle in Bijapur district, police said on Monday.
Those arrested were identified as Budta Gonde (26), lakhmu Kadiyam (35), Sannu lekam (28) and lakshman Uike (25). They were allegedly handling the Maoist activities on national highway in south Bastar region, Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore told reporters.
The cadres were nabbed from the restive forests under Bijapur police station limits on Sunday during a search operation following the face-off, Sukhnandan Rathore added.
While the joint party of CRPF and district police reached the forests between Kaika and Ghumra, about 10-15 armed rebels ambushed the police party and opened indiscriminate firing on them following which they retaliated, Rathore said.
Immediately after the gunfight, security forces launched a search in the region during which four ultras were arrested, he said. A 5-kg tiffin bomb, a couple of detonators, bags, Maoist uniforms, literature, other ammunitions and commodities of daily use were recovered. According to the official, Gonde was a member of regional military company II of CPI (Maoist) and was carrying a cash reward of `1 lakh on his head.
During interrogation, he admitted that he had joined the movement in 2009 and was involved in the deadly 2010 Tadmetla (now in Sukma district) attack in which 76 security personnel were killed in Dantewada district, Rathore said.