Naxal couple carrying cash rewards held in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: A Naxal couple wanted in several Maoist-related incidents and carrying cash reward on their heads, were arrested on Thursday from Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh, police said.

Acting on a specific input, the cadres identified as Letru alias Pawan (33) and his wife Shyama Korram alias Manki (30), were apprehended by a joint team of security forces from Madanwada police station area, a senior police official said.

The combined squad of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and local police was dispatched to the interior villages of Madanwada, located around 150 km away from capital Raipur, after getting information about the arrival of the Maoist couple there, he said.

During the preliminary interrogation, Letru informed that he had brought his wife, who had been unwell since the past couple of weeks, for treatment in Madanwada from neighbouring Kanker district, he said.

Letru, presently active as a member of East Bastar Division Committee, has been associated with the outlawed CPI (Maoist) since 2006-07.

“As many as 50 cases of Naxal incidents, including attacks on police teams, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and torching vehicles were registered against him in the police stations of Kondagaon and Bastar districts,” the officer said, adding the cadre was carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head.

Similarly, his wife Shayama, a member of Bhanpuri LOS (local organisation squad) of Maoists, was also wanted in at least 10 incidents of attacks on police squads, triggering bomb blasts and murder, he said.

She was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head, he added. The duo thought that they will not be identified in Madanwada area of Rajnandgaon as they were active in east Bastar and therefore, they decided to visit a hospital there by hiding their identity, but got caught, he added.