Naxals use AP's chilli pluckers to sneak weapons

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, Dec 7 (UNI) Besides openly using modern communication devices, Maoists use Andhra Pradesh's chilli pluckers to sneak weapons to one another, a Naxal Bal Sangham member has revealed.

Chaiti Markam (8), who was apprehended near Kankergutta hill in naxalism-affected Bastar division's Bijapur district, told mediapersons here yesterday in Gondi dialect that she -- a resident of Bijapur's Chirnar village -- used to spy on police movements under the pretext of grazing cows.

The girl's brother Mangu (15) is part of a rebel dalam. Chaiti never went to school and does not know how to read and write. Her parents live at Chirnar.

''The ultras are equipped with several modern machines. An extremist named Chaitu makes bombs,'' said Chaiti, who is familiar with the area's insurgent leaders Hariram and Malesh. Hariram also makes bombs, she added.

She also mentioned that villagers used to tell her not to reveal any detail about the Maoists. Police officers quoted her as saying that Naxals buried several corpses after a recent encounter near Mankeli.

The girl referred to a rebel camp atop a high hill where cellphones were operative. Several ultras carried mobile phones. The hill was used as a vantage point for observing Bijapur, Cherpal and Gangalur.

''Two camps at Kankergutta were raided on Wednesday. The girl, who was working below the hill, began running on observing the personnel,'' said the Central Reserve Police Force's 31st Battalion Commandant Ramcharit.

UNI