Kishenji's aide arrested in Kolkata

Kolkata, Mar 3 (ANI): West Bengal Police have arrested Venkateshwar Reddy alias Telugu Deepak, a close aide of top Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji from Sarshuna.

Reddy was arrested in a joint operation carried out by the state police and Crime Investigation Department (CID) officials late last night.

Reddy, who is chief of Maoists military operations in Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand, will be produced before a Kolkata court today.

He is said to be the mastermind behind the Sealdah attack last month, where rebels gunned down 24 police paramilitaries.

Reddy was also the mastermind in the Maoist strikes in Sankrail, Gidhni and the Rajdhani siege incident in West Midnapore district of West Bengal last year.

His arrest is being seen as the biggest catch after Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy. (ANI)