The Visakhapatnam rural police arrested four militia members belonging to the banned CPI (Maoist) on Sunday evening, at G. Madugula area.

Based on reliable information, a special team comprising personnel from the police and the CRPF conducted a raid at a village in Bothili panchayat in G. Madugula mandal of Visakhapatnam district and nabbed the four.

The arrested members include Lasangi Nagaraju (32), Pangi Pethuru (22), Vanthala Subbarao (45) and Korra Laxmana Rao (32). All the four arrested belong to Bohitili panchayat. According to assistant superintendent of police (Paderu) A. Babujee, the militia members provided critical information and logistic support to the Maoist in the Maddigaruvu region of G. Madugula mandal.

They were involved in a number of important cases such as snatching of nomination papers in the Nurmathi and Bohitili panchayat elections in July 2014, in the murder case of Bachili Balakrishna in August 2014 and arson of Anjanderi temple at Gudalamveedhi on January 15 and the burning of an earth mover on the same day at Ondrungula. All the offences were committed in G. Madugula mandal, said the ASP. According to Mr. Babujee, they also played a key role in mobilising men for meetings and erecting banners and sticking posters of Maoist propaganda.