Senior woman Naxalite, associate held in Chhattisgarh

Malti alias Raje (48), a divisional committee member of Maoists, and Shyamnath Usendi, who had given her shelter in his house, were arrested on Saturday from Koyalibeda police station area, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said

Raipur: A senior woman Naxalite, carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on her head, and her associate have been arrested from Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, a police official said on Monday.

Malti alias Raje (48), a divisional committee member of Maoists, and Shyamnath Usendi, who had given her shelter in his house, were arrested on Saturday from Koyalibeda police station area, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said.

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Raje’s husband was apprehended last year, he said, terming the couple’s arrest as a crucial development in the anti-Naxal operation in the state.

Raje was in-charge of Rowghat area committee under north Bastar division of Maoists and carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh, he said.

Police had been receiving inputs about her movement in Koyalibeda area, located around 200 km from the State capital Raipur, for the past few days.

During the investigation, her location was traced to Kaudosalhebhat village where Usendi had given her shelter. The two were subsequently apprehended, the official said.
Raje’s husband Prabhakar alias Balmuri Rao, a special zonal committee-rank cadre, was arrested on December 22 last year from Kanker, he said.

Last year, 925 Naxalites were arrested in the State’s Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Kanker, he added.