Five Dreaded Naxalites Arrested From Ballia

Lucknow, August 17 (TNA) The Uttar Pradesh ATS has arrested five Maoists from Basantpur village of Ballia district. Tara Devi alias Manju alias Manisha is also included in the arrested accused. She has taken Naxal training in the jungles. Naxalite activity in Ballia after 15 years recently had created a stir in the administration.

All of them were having a secret meeting of the organization in a hut when the ATS sleuths pounced on them. Naxalite literature, pamphlets, handwritten messages, a laptop, nine mobile phones, a 9mm pistol and other items were recovered from their possession. They are said to be the most hardcore Naxalites ever who were plotting major incidents against the government.

Apart from Tara Devi aka Manju, Lallu Ram alias Arun Ram, Satya Prakash Verma, Ram Murat and Vinod Sahni have also been arrested.

In the year 2008, Sohan Singh of the village was shot dead in Saharspali of Sadar Kotwali. There was worry in the official circles when the clue of Naxalite activity was found in the police investigation. The entire area was turned into a police camp. An intensive checking campaign was conducted, in which weapons, bombs and other prohibited items were recovered from many houses. Many people were also arrested. Many families associated with Naxal activities had migrated.

Three years after this, in 2012, in Kushahar village of Sahatwar police station area, the Naxalites who came in police uniform, the head of Kushahar village Phoolmati Devi was killed. Chhote Kahar was also an accused in this. Former cotedar Krishna Kumar, accused in the Pradhan murder case, was shot dead two years later by miscreants.

Krishna Kumar had an enmity with Pradhan due to the suspension of the quota shop. Prior to this, the police used to be alert about Naxalite activity in Sahatwar police station.