Latehar (Jharkhand), Dec 3 Two key area commanders of the banned Maoist outfit Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) were arrested from the state's Latehar district on Wednesday, police said.
The arrested cadres -- Sunil Oraon alias Mantu and Mukesh Lohara -- each carried a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh.
Latehar Superintendent of Police Kumar Gaurav said the arrests mark a major setback for the JJMP, which has suffered severe losses in recent months.
He noted that following the recent encounter in which JJMP commander Pappu Lohara was killed, intelligence inputs suggested that some cadres were attempting to regroup and revive the outfit’s operations.
Acting on these inputs, a special team comprising personnel from Latehar and Manika police stations was constituted under the leadership of SDPO (DSP) Arvind Kumar.
According to the police, Oraon was spotted near his native village, Navagarh, under the Sadar police station area, while Lohara was traced to the Purni Palheya area under Manika police station limits.
Based on the intelligence, simultaneous raids were conducted between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Wednesday. Both commanders were apprehended without major resistance.
SP Gaurav said Oraon is wanted in more than seven Maoist-related cases across Latehar and adjoining districts, while Lohara is named in two criminal cases involving Maoist activities. The duo had managed to escape during a police encounter recently.
The SP added that sustained police pressure has virtually crippled the JJMP’s operational strength. Only four to five members of the outfit are currently believed to be active in the region. Over the past six months, two major Maoist leaders -- including the JJMP supremo -- have been killed in encounters, while several cadres have surrendered.
The operation was executed with the support of Manika police station in-charge Shashi Kumar, Latehar police station in-charge Ramakant Gupta, SI Vikrant Upadhyay, Rahul Kumar Sinha, Vikas Kumar, Dharamveer Singh, and other members of the district police team.
Police say the crackdown will continue until the rest of the organisation's members are eliminated.
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