Police Thursday arrested a CRPF officer in Bihar's Gaya district on charges of leaking information to Maoist guerrillas, officials said.

 

 Sanjay Kumar, an assistant commandant of 159th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, was arrested by the special task force (STF) of Bihar Police.

 

 "Sanjay Kumar was arrested on the basis of evidence against him that he was leaking information to Maoists and for being hand-in-glove with them," said a senior police official at the police headquarters.

 

 Sanjay Kumar was being interrogated at the CRPF camp after his arrest, he said. "The STF has solid evidence that Sanjay Kumar used to pass on vital information to Maoists and he has links with them, which is against service rules," the police official said.

 

 The state home department will inform the union home ministry to initiate action against the official. Police officials said it was for the first time that a CRPF officer of the rank of assistant commandant was arrested on such serious charges.

 

 Gaya is considered a stronghold of Maoists, where a CRPF camp is based for combing operations against them.