BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh police on Wednesday arrested eight people, including two Mumbai residents, who they claim were working as couriers for Maoist commanders in Balaghat district. Four vehicles were intercepted in the Kirnapur forest in the district, which borders Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, said Anti-Naxal Operations chief Sajid Farid Shapu.
Three pistols, magazines and parts of AK-47 rifles, eight gelatin rods, an LED torch, air pump, clothes, tents and other material were recovered from them, Shapu said. They had allegedly procured the materials from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The accused have been identified as Sanjay Naji and Rohit Shivabhai Butani from Mumbai, Ghanshyam Shivlal Anchale and Vijay Jivan Koreti from Gondia (Maharashtra), Shakeel Khan and Wajid Taithari from Kota and Tauseef and Jitendra Agrawal from Jhalawar (both in Rajasthan).
The accused were supplying the ammunitions and other important equipment to the Maoists groups active in MP, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh tri-section through Gondia-based Ghanshyam Anchale and Vijay Koreti, the senior official claimed. "They had supplied materials to Naxals seven to eight times in the last one year and also received Rs25 lakh", he said.
During interrogation, the accused also revealed that Maoists had planned a big attack on cops during the (martyr's week) observed by the insurgents towards the end of July. "Ghanshyam is said to be a big catch. He is in touch with several Maoist leaders. We will know more details after taking them in custody," said Shapu.
There has been an increase in Maoist movements in Mandla, Dindori and Balaghat districts.
Recently, a villager was shot dead by Maoists as he was suspected to be a police informer.
