In a major breakthrough in Jharkhand's anti-Maoist operations, security forces have arrested one of the state's most wanted Maoist operatives, Ravindra Ganjhu, from Latehar district.
The arrest is being seen as one of the biggest successes in the ongoing campaign against Left Wing Extremism in the state. According to police, Ganjhu was apprehended during a joint operation conducted by the Jharkhand Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) following specific intelligence inputs about his presence in the district.
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During the operation, security personnel recovered an AK-56 assault rifle, a pistol and a large quantity of live ammunition from his possession. Police officials said Ganjhu carried a reward announced by the state government and had remained on the security agencies' most wanted list for several years. His arrest is expected to deal a significant blow to Maoist activities in the region.
Ganjhu is accused of masterminding the deadly 2019 attack at Chandwa in Latehar district, in which four police personnel were killed. The attack took place on the day the Union Home Minister was visiting Jharkhand, making it one of the most high-profile Maoist strikes in the state. Since then, security agencies had been conducting sustained operations to trace and apprehend him.
Officials said intelligence inputs indicated that Ganjhu had been hiding in the Latehar region and was either planning a major attack or attempting to establish contact with members of his armed squad.
Acting on the information, police and CRPF personnel launched a coordinated search operation, surrounded the area and arrested him. The recovery of sophisticated weapons from his possession indicates that he continued to play an active role in Maoist operations, police said.
Security officials believe the arrest will considerably weaken the operational network of Maoist groups active in the Latehar, Lohardaga and Gumla districts, and strengthen ongoing efforts to curb Left wing extremism in Jharkhand.
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