Raipur: Three Naxalites, including a senior level commander who was allegedly involved in last year`s deadly Jiram valley attack have been arrested in insurgency-hit Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.
The cadres were apprehended by a special team of Bijapur district police when they arrived at a weekly market of Bacheli in Dantewada last night, Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhnandan Rathore told PTI.
Following a tip-off about the movement of hardcore rebels in Bacheli, the police team was dispatched to the spot which later nabbed the trio on suspicion, the DSP said.
Those held were identified as Chaitu Lekam alias Munna (25), a section commander of military company no 2 of Maoists active in West Bastar Division, Aaytu Punem (37), a militia platoon commander and Mangu Kunjam (24), a Janmilitia member.
Active since 2007 in the outlawed CPI (Maoist) movement, Chaitu was involved in the Jiram valley incident in Darbha region of Bastar in May last year in which prominent Congress leaders were killed.
Besides, he was also involved in Mirtur ambush in Bijapur killing six police personnel (2008), attack on police party under Chintagufa police station limits of Sukma (2009) and attack on CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) post in Bacheli in which two of their jawans were killed (2012), he said.
Chaitu was a prominent figure of military wing of CPI (Maoist) as he was also a member of action team of Naxals` south regional committee (south Bastar bordering Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh), the DSP said, adding, he was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.
The two other arrested cadres-- Aaytu and Mangu-- were involved in several naxal instances of Gangaloor region.
However, their involvement in other incidents of Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma of South Bastar can`t be ruled out, he added.
