Three Maoists, sympathiser arrested by Kothagudem police

Superintendent of Police B Rohith Raju informed that naxals, Pottam Raju and OyamPandu of Chhattisgarh, Punem Chukki of Mulugu district and sympathiser Shyamala Mukesh of Dameratogu were caught during a combing operation in the forest area.

Kothagudem: Police arrested three Maoists, including a woman cadre and a sympathiser at Dameratogu forest area in Gundala mandal in the district on Thursday.

Superintendent of Police B Rohith Raju informed that naxals, Pottam Raju and Oyam Pandu of Chhattisgarh, Punem Chukki of Mulugu district and sympathiser Shyamala Mukesh of Dameratogu were caught during a combing operation in the forest area.

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Raju, who joined the Maoist in 2016, was promoted as area committee member in 2022 and involved in 42 offences. Pandu joined Maoists in 2021 and was involved in 19 crimes while Chukki who joined the naxals in 2023 took part in three offences.

Police seized one INSAS rifle along with 29 live rounds from Raju, a .303 rifle along with 12 rounds from Pandu and an axe from Chukki besides pamphlets from Mukesh. The arrested along with other sympathisers were holding a meeting at Dameratogu to discuss measures to revive CPI (Maoist) Party in Kothagudem district when they were caught, the SP said.