Chhattisgarh: Key Maoist operatives held in Bijapur; weapons seized

Raipur, Sep 27 (IANS) In a series of coordinated anti-Naxal operations, security forces in Bijapur district have arrested four Maoist operatives, including two high-ranking members, and recovered a cache of illegal weapons, dealing a major blow to insurgent networks in southern Chhattisgarh.

In the first operation, a joint team of Pamed Police Station and the 228 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) apprehended two Jan Militia members during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the Polampalli area. The suspects, Vanjam Hunga (35) and Sodhi Nande (33), both residents of Polampalli village and belonging to the Muria tribal community, attempted to flee upon spotting the patrol team but were swiftly detained.

Authorities confirmed that both were active members of the Jan Militia under the Polampalli Revolutionary People's Committee (RPC), affiliated with the banned CPI (Maoist). Their interrogation led to the recovery of six Bharmar guns — traditional muzzle-loading firearms — hidden in the Padalu forest.

Preliminary findings suggest the weapons were intended for Maoist cadres operating in the region. “This seizure is a strategic success in disrupting Maoist logistics and tracing local support networks,” said a senior CRPF official.

Legal proceedings have been initiated under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and both accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

In a separate operation on September 25, a joint team of DRG Bijapur, Basaguda Police Station, and COBRA 210 Battalion arrested Mallaish Kunjam, a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) of the Jagargunda Area Committee, from the forests of Polampalli. Kunjam, 40, carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh and faces multiple charges, including the June 2023 IED blast and firing on police in Gaganpalli and Murkipad. He has six pending warrants and is implicated in cases across Tarrem, Pamed, Usur, and Awapalli.

Simultaneously, Jangla and Bhairamgarh police teams arrested Anil Veko (32), Jantana Sarkar, President of Biriyabhumi RPC, from Darmer village. Veko, also Muria, had a Rs 1 lakh reward and is linked to several violent incidents, including IED blasts, murder, and election-related attacks.

Both have been presented before the court and placed under judicial remand. These arrests underscore the intensified crackdown on Maoist activity in Chhattisgarh, as part of the national campaign to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism by 2026. Security forces continue combing operations across Bijapur to ensure lasting peace and community safety.

--IANS

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