Maoist arrested with a huge cache of arms in Bihar

A Maoist was arrested on Wednesday and a huge cache of firearms including pistols, hand grenades, detonators and magazines were seized from him during a raid by the Special Task Force (STF) in a village in Bihar's Rohtas district.

The Maoist, identified as Maan Dev, was a regular supplier of firearms to the CPI (M) since 1999. He was arrested from his rented house at East Mohan Bigaha village after a tip-off, district Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav said.

A pistol, 150 hand grenades, 5,500 detonators, 460 live cartridges of revolver, seven magazines of self loading rifles (SLR) and carbine were seized from him, police said.

Some survey maps of Patna and Kaimur-Rohtas ranges, geographical maps of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh were also found in the house.

The raiding team also seized laser lights, CDs of past naxalite operations, compass, T-shirts and sarees for women naxalites, DVDs and naxalite literatures from Dev's house, it said.

Police did not rule out the possibility of others also being involved in the arms supply racket.

Dev is a resident of Joga village in Palamu district in Jharkhand.