Sasaram, Oct. 24: A joint team of security personnel today caught seven Naxalites, including a self-styled area commander, in Rohtas district.

Acting on a tip-off, personnel of the district police and the CRPF’s Cobra battalion raided an area near an under-construction bridge over the Sone and arrested “area commander” Sudarashan Ram alias Firoj and four of his accomplices. Three of them were identified as Raju Ram, Krishna Paswan and Bindeshwari Paswan.

Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Manu Maharaj said the five rebels were wanted in connection with the killing of former Bikramganj sub-divisional police officer Akhileshwar Prasad Singh and a dozen other cases. The Maoists had killed Singh in Karakat police station area in 2006.

In another raid, two Naxalites — Ramashish Ram alias Tuddu alias Paletina and Vindhyachal Chandrawanshi alias Parshad — were arrested in the Chutia area, the SP added.