Breakthrough in Chhattisgarh attack: Naxal leader held

New Delhi, June 4: The Andhra Pradesh Police has arrested Naxal leader Savita alias Madhvi, suspected to be involved in the May 25 attack on a Congress convoy at Darbha ghati in Chhattisgarh. According to media reports she was arrested in Khammam district, bordering Orissa.

She had been injured during the attack. Savita was picked up from a vehicle during a routine checking when she was being taken to a hospital for treatement.

Savita is allegedly a member of CPI-Maoist Bastar Regional Committee and wife of Central Committee member Chandranana. She has a reward of Rs 5 lakh for her capture.

Savita seems to be common name used by the Naxals, especially in Chhattisgarh. Last year in October, Naxal leader Vasanti alias Savita Pondu Potem (25), who headed national park dalam active in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, was arrested by security forces in Maharashtra. Her husband Nabbu, who was a platoon commander, was killed in an encounter with security forces in 2008.

Attack investigations

Meanwhile, Union Home Ministry has rejected a newspaper report which alleged that insiders were involved in the deadly Naxal attack. According to a newspaper report the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that four party leaders were in 'constant touch' with Naxals on May 25.

But Home Ministry sources deny reports of Congress leaders being involved in the attack. The sources says "enquiry is at a preliminary stage and there is no evidence to suggest conspiracy yet".

The investigators, meanwhile, will once again question Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma, who was also a part of the convoy but survived the attack. Lakhma was seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at a Raipur hospital.

Naxals had used 27 to 30 kilogrammes of explosives during the attack. According to the forensic report, the Naxals used ammonium nitrate. Electric detonators with command wire were used to trigger the blast which left a huge crater on the road. The 200-meter long wire to detonate the explosive was buried few feet under the road.

Congress leaders Mahendra Karma and Uday Mudaliyar, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh were killed along with many security personnel in the attack.

Senior Congress leader VC Shukla, critically injured in the attack, continues to be on ventilator support at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon.

OneIndia News