Karnataka Police arrested Venkatesh following a month-long search in hills near Pavagada.
He is accused of triggering a crude bomb blast at a farmer’s pump set.
Police allege he used a Maoist name to demand ₹5 lakh.
Karnataka Police on Tuesday night arrested the prime accused involved in a bomb explosion at a farmer’s pump set in Kanakalabande village in August.
Police said Kanakalabande Venkatesh, who also posed as an Maoist, had been hiding in the Kadamalakunte Hills near Pavagada since the crude bomb explosion. The blast caused panic in the area, following which Venkatesh allegedly went into hiding, NDTV reported.
His wife, Savitramma, their two children and two others had earlier been arrested in connection with the case.
Venkatesh later allegedly placed a letter carrying the name of a Maoist organisation on the gate of a farm owned by a man identified as Bhushappa.
NDTV quoting Police reported that the letter demanded ₹5 lakh and contained threats against the farmer, prompting authorities to register a case against Venkatesh.
Acting on information about his location, police launched a combing operation involving more than 150 personnel in the hills. The operation led to Venkatesh’s arrest after a search lasting about 20 days.
