Continuing its bid to dismantle the Maoist urban network, the Chhattisgarh police arrested five conduits, including a commander level cadre who was allegedly part of a Maoist ambush which targeted Congress leaders in May last year, in the Bastar region.
Santu Kunjam (30) who was allegedly involved in one of the three Maoist ambushes to target Congress leaders and his four associates were under surveillance for more than a year, Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (Intelligence) Mukesh Gupta told reporters here today.
They were picked up from their native places in the Bhansi and Bacheli area of Maoist-hit Dantewada district yesterday, he said.
Others arrested were identified as Butturam Vatti (35) deputy sarpanch of Bhansi, Jalandhar alias Jalan (33), Gopi Markam (19) and Malay Kumar Kanjilal (38), a local quack, who were all allegedly active in Dantewada-Sukma and Bastar districts of South Bastar.
According to the officer, Santu was among the Maoists who attacked Congressmen at Jiram valley (Darbha) and killed 29 people, including prominent Congressmen like Mahendra Karma, Nandkumar Patel, Vidyacharan Shukla and others on May 25, 2013.
Santu, who is allegedly a close aide of top Maoist leader of the Dandakarnya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) Ganesh Uike, was also allegedly involved in several major Maoist operations, including deadly attacks on security personnel, as well as attacks on the industrial premises of Essar and NMDC in the region, during the past two years, the ADG said.
Allegedly, Santu also masterminded and executed several attacks on railway tracks and trains in the Jagdalpur-Kirandul rail route, he said.
