Security forces in India’s Chhattisgarh state struck a major blow against Maoist insurgents this week, arresting four key operatives in Bijapur district and seizing a stash of illegal weapons. These coordinated anti-Naxal operations target the banned CPI (Maoist) group and its networks in southern Chhattisgarh, where Left-Wing Extremism has long posed challenges to peace.
In one key raid, a joint team from Pamed Police Station and the 228 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) caught two Jan Militia members during a search in the Polampalli area. The suspects, Vanjam Hunga, 35, and Sodhi Nande, 33, both from the local Muria tribal community in Polampalli village, tried to run when they spotted the patrol but got nabbed quickly.
Interviews with the pair revealed their ties to the Jan Militia under the Polampalli Revolutionary People’s Committee, a CPI (Maoist) front. Thanks to their tips, forces recovered six Bharmar guns—traditional muzzle-loading rifles—hidden in the nearby Padalu forest. Officials believe these weapons were meant for Maoist fighters in the region.
“This seizure disrupts Maoist supply lines and helps us track down local supporters,” a senior CRPF officer told reporters. Police have charged Hunga and Nande under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and a court has sent them to judicial custody.
The action didn’t stop there. On September 25, another team made up of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Bijapur, Basaguda Police Station, and the COBRA 210 Battalion grabbed Mallaish Kunjam, a 40-year-old high-ranking Divisional Committee Member for the Jagargunda Area Committee. Kunjam, who carries an Rs 8 lakh bounty, faces charges in several attacks, including a June 2023 IED blast and shootings on police in Gaganpalli and Murkipad. He has six arrest warrants pending across areas like Tarrem, Pamed, Usur, and Awapalli.
At the same time, police from Jangla and Bhairamgarh stations arrested Anil Veko, 32, the president of the Biriyabhumi Revolutionary People’s Committee and a Jantana Sarkar member. Also from the Muria community, Veko has a Rs 1 lakh reward on his head for his role in IED blasts, murders, and attacks during elections. Both Kunjam and Veko appeared in court and now sit in judicial remand.
These arrests highlight India’s ongoing crackdown on Maoist activity in Chhattisgarh, part of a nationwide push to wipe out Left-Wing Extremism by 2026. Security teams keep up combing operations in Bijapur to protect communities and build lasting stability in the area.
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