Jharkhand: Maoist accused of killing over 30 people arrested
In a statement, police said a joint team of security forces arrested Ramesh Ganjhu after they were informed that he was on a recruitment drive in a forest area in the district. It added the team was rushed to the forest on Wednesday night and that Ganjhu was arrested hours later
Ranchi: In a major success for Jharkhand and Bihar Police, two high-ranking Maoists, including a CPI (Maoist) rebel who was allegedly involved in the killing of 30 police personnel, were arrested by Jharkhand Police from Chatra and Hazaribagh districts in two days.
The two Maoists were wanted by security forces in both the states.
While Ramesh Ganjhu, accused of killing over 30 security personnel in ambushes, was arrested from Chatra district on Thursday, Pradyuman Sharma was held in Hazaribag in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, police said.
Originally from Chatra, Ganju was instrumental in carrying out several ambushes against security forces in the past two decades across Jharkhand and Bihar, including the one in Latehar district in Jharkhand in DATE/YEAR wherein 15 security personnel were killed. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were planted on the bodies of the slain personnel to cause further damage to forces collecting the bodies.
Ganju, who was carrying a reward of ₹15 lakh, used the nomenclatures of Ankit and Azad, police said. He was named in 46 cases registered across various police stations in Jharkhand and Bihar, and was arrested with ₹1.5 lakh in cash allegedly collected as levy, police added.
“The Chatra SP reported that Azad was on a recruitment drive for his front in Lawalong-Chatra area. A dedicated team led by Simariya SDPO Ashok Priyadarshi was constituted to nab him. The team entered Barwadih forest on Wednesday night. During the combing operation, they held one person in the forest, later identified as Azad,” a statement from the Jharkhand police department read.
In another major catch, Pradyuman Sharma alias Kundan alias Saket, originally from Rushtampur under Hulasganj police station in Jehanabad district in Bihar, was held from a forested area under Chouparan police station in Hazaribagh district during a special combing operation on Thursday night.
Sharma, who was carrying a reward of ₹25 lakh, had 90 cases registered against him and is a member of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoists), police said.
“Pradyuman is one of the most significant members of the Magadh zone of CPI (Maoists). He has been in touch with the top leadership of their Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB). He has been participating in the meetings of the ERB and the BJ-SAC (Bihar Jharkhand Special Area Committee). He has been active since 1996 and is named in 90 cases in Bihar and Jharkhand,” Hazaribag superintendent of police Manoj Ratan Chothe said.
