Police arrested a woman Naxal leader, who was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head, in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, an official said on Sunday. A team of police personnel apprehended the hardcore woman ultra, identified as Santila Salaam (28), near Marda village under Koyalibeda police station area.
Based on specific inputs, police team was out on a search operation in the forest of Koyalibeda, located around 200 kms from here. While the police personnel were cordoning off a forested patch near Marda, they nabbed the Naxalite and recovered a muzzle loading gun from her. Salaam was active as a member of the Panidobir lOS (local organisation squad) which operates under Rowghat area committee of the Maoists. She was wanted in 22 Naxal-related incidents, including attacks on police parties and triggering blasts, in Koyalibeda area.
She was allegedly involved in the attack on a team of the Border Security Force (BSF) at Koyalibeda in June 2011 when two of its personnel were killed, and also in the killing of a villager in Jiramtarai in 2010.