India: Four Naxals held in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada

Raipur, Mar 7 (PTI) Four Naxals, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, were arrested from two places in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday, police said.

While three of them were apprehended from a forest between Etepal and Jiakodta villages under Kuakonda police station limits, a Maoist commander was held near Medpal village under Aranpur police station area, they said.

Separate teams of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and District Force were involved in these actions, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava.

Those held in Kuakonda operation were identified as Baman Sodhi (22), Hidma Sodhi (22) and Hidma Madvi (20), all lower-rung cadres, he said.

They were allegedly tasked with putting up Maoist banners and posters, damaging roads in interior pockets and planting explosives to target security forces, he said.

In Aranpur, Maoist militia commander Padam Mada (27) was caught while he was trying to escape on sensing the presence of security personnel, he said.

He was wanted in connection with incidents of attack on police team, civilian killing, damaging public property, Pallava said, adding that he carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.