Four Maoists were arrested along with arms and explosives from separate places in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district today, police said.
Two hardcore Maoists were apprehended by a district police team after a gun battle during a search operation in the restive Santoshpur forests under Bijapur police station limits, K L Dhruv, Bijapur Superintendent of Police told PTI here.
Those arrested were identified as Laxman Lekam (32) who is the head of Santoshpur Range Committee and Madkam Sukku (26) heads the Ghumra Jantana Sarkar group, Dhruv said.
When the police patrol reached a hill in the dense forests after crossing Santoshpur village, a group of around 15 armed rebels opened indiscriminate fire on them, following which they retaliated.
On finding the police zeroing on them, the Maoists started escaping to the interiors during which the duo were caught hiding behind a rock on the hills, Dhruv said.
A muzzle loading gun was also recovered from their possession, the SP said, adding they were involved in serious Maoist incidents, including loot, arson, murder and attacks on the police in the region.
In separate incidents, Maoist cadre Kursam Santosh (20) was nabbed from Modakapal police station limits, while another Maoist cadre Kakkem Maraiyya was apprehended from the Awapalli police station area, the SP said.
A joint squad of the district police force and Central Reserve Police Force was on an area domination exercise towards Chinnakodepal forests of Modakpal area, when Santosh tried to flee into the dense forests.
A tiffin bomb, electric wire, switch and a detonator was seized from his possession, the SP said.
