The explosives recovered in Gaya on Friday. Picture by Suman

Patna, April 29: Seven top-ranking leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist), including three central committee members, were arrested today from Katihar district.

The police also seized a huge quantity of explosives during the anti-Maoist operation.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of officials of the special task force (STF) carried out a raid at the house of one Anirudh Ravidas at Balirampur village under Barsoi sub-division of Katihar and arrested seven hardcore Maoists.

Eight bags of high quality explosives believed to be RDX was also recovered from Ravidas’s house. Ravidas, earlier a panchayat committee member, is contesting the panchayat elections for the post of mukhiya (village head).

One of the arrested leaders has been identified as Shyam Rishdev, who is carrying a huge reward on his head. Sources said Rishidev, along with three terrorists, had assembled at Ravidas’s house to chalkout a strategy to strengthen the base of the organisation in the region.

Purnea deputy inspector-general (DIG) Amit Kumar confirmed the arrest of some rebel leaders from Katihar but refused to divulge more information. “It was an operation carried out by the special taskforce,” he said.

Sources said one of the arrested leaders managed to give a slip to the team that conducted the raid. “The role of a teacher posted at Balirampur school is being verified,” an official associated with the investigation said.

Sources said three of the arrested Maoists were said to be members of a terrorist outfit. When contacted, inspector-general (operation) K.S. Dwivedi, who is also in-charge of the anti-rebels operation, said he had no information about the arrest of any Maoist leader from Katihar. “We have received information about the arrest of some Maoists from Gaya district,” he said.

The Gaya police, meanwhile, recovered explosives in 30 bags from an abandoned bunker during an anti-Maoist operation at Mahubania village on Friday.

Gaya superintendent of police (city) Ratnamani Sanjeev said 30 bags of ammonium nitrate and wires used in making bombs were seized during the raid. However, the rebels had escaped by the time the police reached the spot.