Ranchi- In a significant success for security forces in Jharkhand, Ranchi Police have arrested Amrit Horo, a senior leader of the banned People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), who carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh.
Officials said the operation was carried out after Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan received intelligence that Horo would attend a wedding ceremony in Jamakel village near the Ranchi-Khunti border.
Based on the tip-off, a joint team involving the Quick Response Team (QRT) and other police personnel launched a late-night raid, surrounded the village and arrested him.
Police said Amrit Horo had been evading arrest for a long time by frequently changing hideouts in the forested regions of Ranchi and Khunti districts. He was considered one of the most active and influential commanders of the outfit.
After his arrest, he was taken to a secure location for questioning. Investigators are now trying to gather information about the PLFI’s operational network, weapons supply routes, associates and extortion activities. Officials from Khunti Police are also expected to interrogate him.
According to police records, Horo is wanted in several criminal cases involving extortion, illegal levy collection from contractors and railway projects, arson attacks, firing incidents and encounters with security personnel across Ranchi, Khunti and nearby districts.
Security agencies had previously attempted to capture him during an encounter around one-and-a-half years ago, but he escaped by taking advantage of the dense forests and hilly terrain.
Amrit Horo took over as chief of the People’s Liberation Front of India after the killing of former PLFI supremo Martin Kerketta in Gumla district last year.
Police officials believe his arrest will significantly weaken the outfit’s activities and financial network in Jharkhand.
With inputs from IANS