Two Naxals arrrested in UP

In a major anti-Naxal operation carried by the CRPF and the local police in Kanjhkanaura forest in Chaupan area, Sonbhadra district, two hardcore Naxals were arrested on Thursday.

Police also seized huge quantity of fire arms from the two Naxals. Those arrested have been identified as Munna Vishwakarma, carrying a reward of Rs. 2.5 lakh on his head and Ajit Kol, carrying a reward of Rs. 50,000.

At around 4.00 am, the joint operation of the CRPF and the police started and continued for two hours till 6 am. After the two hour operation, two Naxals were arrested. However, no loss of life was reported and no cop was injured in the operation.

For the past one month cops were keeping a track on the activities of the two naxals and had information about their movement. If was when they sneaked into Uttar Pradesh from the adjoining Bihar on Wednesday night, the Sonbhadra police and the CRPF carried out a joint operation.

The local police passed on the information to the CRPF. The joint teams of the CRPF and the local police rushed to the forest and cordoned off the entire region at around 4am. Munna Vishwakarma was wanted in many incidents of crime, including murder and was a wanted naxal in both Bihar and Jharkhand. Naxal Ajit Kol is also wanted in several Naxal activities.

“We had information about the movement of both the Naxals for the past one month. We were waiting for them to cross over into Sonbhadra from Bihar,” Inspector General (IG) of police, Varanasi Zone, Brij Bhushan said.

On Wednesday night, we got specific information about the presence of both the Naxals in Kanjhkanaura forest, he added.

“Without wasting any time, the joint teams of the local police and the CRPF carried out an operation against Naxals in the Kanjhkanaura forest. The naxals were caught unaware,” the IG said.

After the operation lasting for about two hours, Naxals Munna Vishwakarma and Ajit Kol were arrested, he added.

Cops are interrogating the two naxals to get information about other members of their group.

Cops, however, are not willing to reveal whether there were other naxals also, who had managed to flee during the operation. Huge quantity of fire arms were also seized during the operation, including self loading rifle (SLR), and large quantity of ammunition.

Sonbhadra is a naxal belt infamous for naxal activities. The area borders Bihar from where naxals sneak into Sonbhadra. At regular intervals naxals are arrested in the region.