A ‘Jan Militia (people's army) commander’ of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Deva Muchaki was arrested by Security Forces (SFs)from Aalnaar village under Kirandul Police Station limits in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh in India on January 12, reports Devdiscourse. As per the report, Deva Muchaki was arrested during a joint search operation by a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and local Police. A Police official said, “Muchaki is a ‘Jan Militia commander’ and has been with the CPI-Maoist for a decade. He was wanted for an attack in 2012 on a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) team in Kirandul in which six security personnel and a civilian were killed”. The official also added that Muchaki was part of a Maoist squad which set ablaze nine vehicles and machinery engaged in construction activity at the NMDC's Bailadila iron ore mine on November 24, 2019.
In a separate incident, two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the Maoists were recovered from a place near Akameta rivulet under Chhote Bethiya Police Station limits in Kanker District of Chhattisgarh in India on January 13, reports Devdiscourse. A Security official said, “A Border Security Force (BSF) team found the two IEDs in two pressure cookers placed beneath a culvert at the aforementioned place during a de-mining operation after getting specific inputs about their presence.” The IEDs were destroyed by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), the official said adding that"they were planted to target SFs patrolling the route. We have also seized 16 batteries and three meters of wire from the spot.”
Meanwhile, the Director General of Police (DGP)of Chhattisgarh, D.M. Awasthi, in a review meeting held at the headquarters of Narayanpur and Dantewada Districts of Chhattisgarh in India on January 13, directed the Security Forces (SFs) to ensure full protection of villagers during Police operations in Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE]-affected areas, reports UNI. The DGP emphasized on the steps to strengthen Police security system in Naxal-affected areas. He said that the search operations should be carried out continuously while taking appropriate action against Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] and verifying information received about them. Common citizens and villagers should not be disturbed under any circumstances and they should not face any kind of trouble due to Police’s search operation.