Ranchi: In a major success for the officers and jawans involved in anti maoists operations in Jharkhand nine hardcore ultras including a zonal commander have been arrested.
Briefing the press on Tuesday Jharkhand Police IG Operations Amol V Homkar said that among the arrested included a zonal commander who is carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, a sub zonal commander and an area commander while six others are members of their squad which also includes a female cadre.
The arrested included zonal commander Balram Oraon, sub zonal commander Dasrath Singh Khairwar, area commander Markus Nagesia, while other members of the group included Saileshwar Oraon, Mukesh Korwa, Viren Korwa, Sailendra Nagesia, Sanjay Nagesia and Shila Khairwar.
The IG said that a total of 82 cases are registered against the zonal commander in different police stations of various districts while 7 are against the sub zonal commander and 10 against the area commander. He said that two cases each are registered against the remaining squad members.
He said that an information had been received that dreaded regional commander of the CPI Maoists Ravindra Ganjhu along with a group of 30-40 armed maoists was moving around Narayanpur forests and surrounding areas located on the borders of Lohardaga and Latehar district and was planning to execute a major incident.
Following the information an inter-district search and combing operation was launched on February 8 which was named ‘Operation Double Bull’ during which from February 8 to 21 at different places 10 encounters took place between the jawans and the maoists. He said that the maoists had planted IEDs inside the forest in which three jawans were injured who were immediately airlifted to Ranchi. However the IG said that jawans continued their search and combing operations in which they destroyed a number of maoist bunkers, recovered arms and ammunition and various other items.
The senior officer said that in the operation an ultra has been also killed whose identity is being determined. Apart from jawans from Lohardaga and Latehar district police, those from Cobra 203/209 battalion, Jharkhand Jaguar Assault Group and Bomb Disposal Squad, CRPF’s 158/214/218/190/11 battalion and those from IRB also participated.
Among the recovered items included An Insas Rifle, An American Automatic Rifle, a 315 rifle, a modified 9 mm carbine, a pistol, 1678 live cartridges of different guns, SLR magazine 13, Insas Rifle magazine 4, Insas LMG magazine 2, 2 other magazines, 1 hand grenade, 4 wireless sets, 16 IEDs of various weights and Rs 3.27 lakh in cash.
Further gun powder, detonators, codex wire, safety fuse, uniforms, jackets, naxal literature and items of day to day use have been also recovered in huge quantity.