The Chhattisgarh police has begun a probe into Maoists’ alleged China-link following recent seizure of a Chinese weapon during an encounter with Naxals in Bijapur district in the state.
“A Chinese-made AK-47, manufactured in 1996, has been recovered from a local Maoist commander, who was killed along with another Naxal during encounter with security personnel in Sitapur jungle under Usur police station in Bijapur district recently. Three magazines of the weapon were also recovered. This was the first time a Chinese-made weapon was seized from ultras”, Bastar IG, T.J.Longkumar, told reporters on Sunday.
Describing it a sensational finding, Mr Longkumar said the seizure has given rise to suspicion that Maoists are procuring arms and ammunitions from China.
“We have begun a probe to find out how sophisticated Chinese arms fell into rebels’ hands,” he added.
A senior police officer told this newspaper that the Chhattisgarh police was working with special intelligence bureau (SIB) of Andhra Pradesh to dig out Maoists’ reported China link following the development.
Two Naxals were killed in encounter with security personnel in Sitapur forest on June 20. One of them has been identified as Sridhar, alias, Satish, a resident of Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh.
Sridhar, aged around 40, had joined the outlawed CPI (Maoist) two decades ago. He was operating in Andhra Pradesh and had been shifted to south Bastar half-a-decade back.
He was deputy commander of the newly created Dandakaranya Andhra Border (DKAB), a military unit of CPI (Maoist) operating in Chhattisgarh- Andhra Pradesh border region.
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2 strikes by Maoists kill 4 jawans
Age correspondent
Raipur
June 26: Suspected Maoists late on Sunday evening blew up a police vehicle near Kerandul in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, killing two jawans of district force (DF), anti-Naxal wing of state police, and injuring four others while two BSF jawans were earlier killed in a Naxal ambush at Sulangi, a forested village near Koyilibeda, the police said.
Dantewada district superintendent of police (SP), Mr Ankit Garg, told this newspaper that the Naxals detonated a powerful landmine targeting the van, in which a patrolling party was travelling. The vehicle flew into air and mangled under the impact of the explosion.