New Delhi: Senior Maoist leader Ramanna and his wife Padma were arrested by the Maharashtra Police on Friday. Both carried big cash rewards on their heads. Ramanna alias Shrinivas Vitthalanna Madru, also known as Tech Ramanna, was an expert gunmaker and has been an active member of CPI (Maoist)’s Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee.

He was presently a Divisional Committee Member (DVC). He is the first cadre of such high rank to be caught alive.

Sixty-five-year-old Ramanna, also known as Ravi and Suresh, trains the Naxals in weapon-handling. He headed the insurgents' research and development wing of arms, hence the name Tech Ramanna. He had been an active Maoist for the past 30 years and carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head. His wife, Padma, alias Minti Dobayya Kodape, who was also working with the Maoists since '92, also carried a reward of Rs 6 lakh on her head.

In a statement issued on Friday evening, the police said that it had "intelligence inputs that Ramanna was seen near Chandrapur along with his wife. The Chandrapur district police laid a trap, arrested the couple and handed them over to Gadchiroli police."

He is said to have joined the movement sometime in the early 80s and was given the responsibility of the rebels’ technical wing in 1995. He worked for the Maoists in Kondagoan, Maad, Tipagarh, Aheri and Bastar area after 1996.

In its statement, the police said, "Ramanna was involved in the manufacture of weapons for the Maoists. He also worked as a trainer to the young Maoist cadres in weapon training. His wife was working for the Maoists since 1992 and carried a reward of Rs 6 lakh and is believed to be involved in violent incidents in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra."

According to sources, Ramanna was headed to Telangana, the reasons for which weren't clear at the moment. He had been spotted by police informers, who tipped them off about the location of the couple. Ramanna is said to have been demoted recently on some disciplinary ground.