Bijapur (Chhattisgarh): Eight Naxalites including three women were arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district hours after a new police camp in Gundam was attacked with country-made UBGL (under barrel grenade launcher).
The police camp was set up in the Tarrem police station area. Following the attack, an encounter took place between the Naxalites and the security forces. In a search operation launched by the security forces, six IED bombs weighing five kg each were recovered.
Bastar IG Sunderraj P said, "New police camps are being set up in the core areas resulting which, Naxalites are in panic."
Acting on a tip-off about Naxalites returning in a tractor after celebrating Bhumkal Diwas in Peediya and Hallur area, an operation was launched. After seeing police, people riding a tractor near Matwada High School in Jangla police station area jumped off the vehicle and tried to run away. However, police managed to nab eight people, including three women.
Police also recovered explosives, batteries, battery chargers, wireless sets, radios, Maoist uniforms, medicines, firecrackers and items of daily use from them.
The arrested Naxalites are said to be members of the Bhairamgarh Area Committee. They have been identified as Ramesh Kovasi (36), Sampath Oyam (32), Ando Vekko (21), Raju Vekko (19), Ranu Ursa (28), Rita Madkam (19), Pandey Oyam (30) and Sushila Kadati (26). They were produced before the Bijapur court.
On Wednesday, Naxalites killed a villager in Narayanpur accusing him of being an informer. Prior to which, in Bhejji area of Sukma district, a villager was also murdered on similar allegations.
Sundarraj said that Naxalites are trying to create fear among villagers by carrying out such incidents to stop the development works. Earlier, four people working in the tap water scheme in Sukma were kidnapped and later released.
In January 30, when a police camp in Tekalguda on the Sukma-Bijapur border was being set up, Naxals opened fire on security personnel. In an encounter that lasted for about four hours, three soldiers were killed and another 15 were injured. Later, in a press note, the Naxalites mentioned that two of their cadres had died in the gunfight.
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