Chhattisgarh: 12 Maoists arrested for 2007 attack on police outpost that left 55 cops dead

As many as 12 Maoists, allegedly involved in an attack on Ranibodli police outpost which killed 55 police personnel in 2007, have been arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Thursday. 

The Maoists, against whom warrants were pending, were apprehended from various villages under Farsegarh and Kutru police stations on Wednesday, Bijapur SP KL Dhruv told PTI.

A joint team of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and the district police had launched a search-cum-area domination operation at Kuprel, Mukram, Kattur and Telmedri villages, around 450 kms from Raipur, during which the arrests were made acting on inputs from local informers, he added.

Pandu Vejja (25), Samlu Podiami (25), Kursam Hiriya (22), Udde Chinna (35), Chinna Telam (26), Somlu Bedja (35), Lakhmu Venjam (30), Michha Chinna (30), Mahngu Tati (26), Mahadev Kartami (35), Baman Madvi (25) and Sukhram Tati (25) -- all active as platoon and jan-militia (lower-rung) members in banned outfit CPI(Maoist) -- were apprehended, said the SP.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were working with the national park area committee of the Maoists and were allegedly involved in the brutal attack at Randibodli police camp (in Bijapur district) which killed 55 security personnel on the intervening night of March 14-15, 2007, he added.

Besides, they were also allegedly involved in the murder of police sub-inspector Nilesh Pandey (27) in Bijapur in 2012, said the SP. Among those arrested, Chinna Telam and Mahngu Tati were carrying a reward of Rs 5,000 each on their heads while Rs 3,000 was announced for the arrest of Mahadev, he added.