Suspected Maoist rebels raided a police station in Naxal-infested Dharmapuri district in the wee hours of Saturday and got away with six rifles and one walkie-talkie after locking up a sub-inspector and other police personnel on duty, reports from here said.

Police said the arms were looted from a police station at Adhiyamankottai around 3.30 am.
 “It is too early to say whether it is the  handiwork of naxalites or some others,” Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police Shenbagaraman said after visiting the station along with Dharmapuri district Superintendent of Police (SP) Najmul Hoda and other top officials.

Ten times targeted

However, local police suspect the involvement of Maoists, as the police station situated on the busy Salem-Dharmapuri national highway, had been targeted by the group 10 times in the past. Police have recovered from the station two pieces of iron rod used by the gang to break open the strong room where the arms were stored.

Special teams

Seven special teams from Namakkal, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts have been set up by the police department to probe into the incident.