Naxal held in connection with landmine blast: DGP

Hyderabad, Sep 7 (UNI) Police today arrested a suspected CPI (Maoist) naxal at Kota Village in Nellore District where Former chief minister and MP N Janardhan Reddy his wife and State Women and Child Welfare Minister N Rajyalaxmi escaped unhurt in a landmine blast which claimed three lives.

Speaking to newspersons here after a review meeeting with Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, State Director General of Police (DGP) M A Basith said a person, who was moving suspicious after the blast was arrested and Police were interrogating him.

Stating the blast was triggered by the CPI (Maoist), Mr Basith said, ''police has launched the investigation into the blast and will analyse the report at the earliest.'' ''The powerful landmine was planted under a culvert where the road laying work was in progress,'' he added.

Maintaining that the Maoist activities were under control in the state, the DGP said the Maoists were operating from Chhattisgarh and Andhra-Orissa Border.

Security for the VVIPs would be strengthened in the wake of the attack on the former chief minister, he added.

UNI