Tiffin Box Treasure: Cop and Ex-Maoists Nabbed with Rs 21 Lakh
A police constable and two former women Maoists were arrested in Chhattisgarh while retrieving Rs 21 lakh hidden in a forest tiffin box.
In a shocking twist of betrayal and greed, the Gariaband Police in Chhattisgarh have arrested a newly recruited police constable and two surrendered women Maoists. The trio was caught red-handed while attempting a Chhattisgarh police cash recovery operation of their own—this time, for personal gain rather than the law.
A Secret Buried in the Forest
The drama unfolded in the dense Rajadera forest area, falling under the jurisdiction of the Mainpur police station. Acting on a precise tip-off regarding suspicious movements in the wilderness, security forces swooped in to find the suspects engaged in a clandestine excavation.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police Karan Kumar Uke, the suspects were apprehended while trying to retrieve a hidden stash of money. The loot—amounting to Rs 21 lakh in cash—was found concealed inside a steel tiffin box that had been buried deep underground in the hills of Kulhadighat.
The Unlikely Trio
The identities of the arrested individuals have revealed a complex web of past associations. Among them was Nohar Markam, a newly recruited police constable. Investigators noted that before joining the force, Markam had served as a police informer, a role that likely gave him inside knowledge of Maoist activities and hidden caches.
Accompanying him were two women who had previously surrendered from the Maoist movement. These were not low-ranking cadres; one had served as a guard for the high-ranking Maoist commander Chalapathi, and the other was a former commander of the Sinapali Dalam.
The Origin of the Blood Money
The investigation has traced the money back to the Maoist Central Committee member and commander, Chalapathi. The cash was reportedly buried in the Kulhadighat hills during 2024. Police officials stated that these funds were not legitimate, but were instead amassed through systemic extortion targeting local residents and contractors working in the region.
Ongoing Probe
While the recovery of the Rs 21 lakh is a significant blow to the remnants of the Maoist financial network, the police are not stopping there. Authorities are now conducting an intensive investigation to determine if the constable and the former cadres had successfully located and stolen other hidden Maoist stashes before this failed attempt.