In a major win for security forces in Naxal-affected Bijapur, fourteen Naxalites have been nabbed. Among 14 arrested Naxalites, 11 carry a cumulative bounty of Rs 41 lakh on their heads, a police official said on Monday.
These extremists, comprising six women and eight men, were part of the outlawed Left Wing movement's 'military company number 2' and 'Gangaloor area committee', the official further added.
According to Bijapur police statement, they were held on Sunday from the forests of Mutvendi and Pidia villages under Gangaloor police station limits by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and district police.
"Eleven of the 14 Naxalites were carrying cumulative reward of Rs 41 lakh. These include Renu Kovasi, a member of military company number 2, and Mangli Avlam of Gangaloor area committee with reward of Rs 8 lakh each," the release said.
"Gangaloor area committee members Bichchem Uika, Sharmila Kursam and Lakshmi Tati were carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh each. Four cadres were having bounties of Rs 2 lakh each and two had rewards of Rs 1 lakh each," it added.
Expolsives confiscated from site
Upon questioning the police recovered four tiffin bombs, two cooker bombs, detonators, cordex wire, gelatin sticks, firecrackers and other Maoist-related materials concealed by them.
The arrest follows a major operation on May 10 in which security forces had gunned 12 Naxalites down in a 12-hour long operation in the forests of Pidia village and had rounded up several persons from the site on suspicion.
Police are yet to disclose the details of those rounded up amid claims by villagers and activists that the May 10 encounter was fake. These persons have claimed those killed were villagers who had gone to pluck tendu leaves.All these allegations have been rubbished by police who asserted the deceased were Naxalites carrying cash rewards on their heads.
(With PTI Inputs)
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