The arrests were made late Thursday at Babri Kokaobhata and Chamai villages of Bastar, about 260 km south of state capital Raipur.

"The arrested people were active members of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). We have recovered four pistols and Maoist literature from them," Superintendent of Police (Bastar) P. Sundaraj told reporters.

He said police were interrogating them for their alleged role in several killings and robberies in the area.

Police claim that the forested Bastar region spanning about 40,000 sq km is home to nearly 10,000 Maoist guerrillas, who have access to rocket launchers and mortars apart from smaller firearms.