IN A major success for security forces ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, 15 Maoists, including a minor and two women, belonging to the squad of wanted red rebel Misir Besra laid down their arms in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Thursday, police said. The Naxals were operating in Saranda, Asia’s densest Sal forest, in Kolhan region in southern Jharkhand where security forces have mounted a major operation against the red rebels. “Fifteen Maoists have surrendered on Thursday. They were operating in Saranda and were squad members of CPI (Maoist) politburo member Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head,” a senior police officer said.West Singhbhum is considered to be one of the worst left-wing extremist-affected districts in the country.

 

It had witnessed 46 Maoist-related incidents, resulting in 22 deaths last year. “It is a big achievement and will contribute significantly to conducting free and fair elections in Singhbhum constituency without an element of fear,” West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary told PTI. NIA ARRESTS ARMED CADRE OF NAXAL OUTFIT PLFI IN JHARKHAND, ASSAM: THE National Investigation Agency has arrested an armed cadre of the Naxal group People’s Liberation Front of India, following raids in Jharkhand and Assam, an official statement issued on Thursday said. The raids and searches were conducted on Wednesday by the NIA teams, with the help of local police, at two locations each in Jharkhand and Assam, it said.

 

The crackdown led to the arrest of one Binod Munda alias Sukkhwa from the Khunti district of Jharkhand, according to the statement issued by the NIA. The accused is an armed cadre of the PLFI, a splinter Naxal group, and wanted in four PLFI cases in Jharkhand. He has been arrested in a case relating to revival attempts by the PLFI, the probe agency said. As part of the revival activities, PLFI members and cadres were involved in generating funds through extortion from various coal traders, transporters, railway contractors, and others.