In a major breakthrough, Chhattisgarh Police has arrested six persons, including self-styled Naxal commander Barsa Lakhma, who were allegedly involved in the gunning down of 76 security personnel in Dantewada in April.
“We have arrested six people in two different incidents including Lakhma last night from Morpali, four kms from Chintalnar,” Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra said.
The six were allegedly involved in the killing of 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and one State police constable on April six.
The arrested Naxals have told the officials during interrogation that the CRPF personnel had become sitting ducks after they lost the wireless set of the killed Deputy Commandant of the 62nd CRPF Battalion.
Lakhma told them that the Naxals were keeping a close tab on the movement of the paramilitary force personnel with the help of the wireless set.
The others arrested included Oyam Hidma, Podiyami Hidma, Kawasi Budra, Oya Ganga, Dura Joga. They were arrested from Minapa village, five kms from Tarmetla, the SP said.
They also told the police that they were keeping a close watch on CRPF personnel including the “picnic” they had on April five during which the Deputy Commandant of CRPF lost his wireless set.
After the incident, these six people had given a detailed briefing to Naxal top brass Ramanna and Paparao during which the “complacency” of CRPF was also discussed, they told the interrogators.
According to the arrested Naxalites, the CRPF company was selected as a target because they had stayed put in one place for an entire day and their movements were under a constant watch by Naxalites, Mishra said.
The final kill was decided by the Naxalites after the wireless set started buzzing on April six at 0300 hours asking the men to get back to the ground and start searching for the lost wireless set of the Deputy Commandant, the arrested Naxals said.
