Daijiworld Media Network - Patna
Patna, Mar 25: In a significant operation against Maoist activities, a joint team of the Bihar Special Task Force (STF) and Aurangabad district police apprehended five operatives of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) on Tuesday, officials confirmed.
The arrests took place during coordinated raids in the Mali and Nabinagar police station areas of Aurangabad district.
According to Nabinagar Station House Officer (SHO) Arun Kumar, the arrested individuals include Baliram from Bela Khaira village, Krishna Pal from Bairia village, Mithlesh Yadav from Birbal Vigha village, Naresh Ram from Pachhiyari village, and Chhotu Singh from Chandragar (Palamu, Jharkhand). The first four are natives of Aurangabad district.
Authorities seized a cache of weapons and supplies from the arrested Maoists, including three 315-bore rifles, one thornet, one country-made rifle, 13 live bullets, a walkie-talkie, seven military uniforms, and other incriminating items.
This operation follows an earlier crackdown in the same area, where Mithlesh Kumar Singh, Chotan Kumar, and Lallu Singh—also members of JJMP—were arrested.
The arrests are linked to a case registered on March 8, 2025, at Nabinagar police station. On that day, 10 to 12 Naxal operatives, disguised in police uniforms, allegedly attempted to extort levy (protection money) from the clerk of Triveni Engineers Private Limited, a company involved in constructing the North Koel Canal near Kandi village in Nabinagar. The Maoists issued grave threats, warning of dire consequences if their demands were not met.
Investigations revealed that the extortion was carried out in the name of Nitesh, a notorious member of the CPI (Maoist) Koel Son Sub-Zonal Committee. However, a detailed technical analysis and intelligence-gathering efforts uncovered that a special group within JJMP was behind the operation.
Acting swiftly on this intelligence, the STF and Aurangabad police executed well-coordinated raids, leading to the latest arrests.
Among those arrested, Krishna Pal and Naresh Ram have a history of criminal activities, with multiple cases registered against them in Aurangabad district. Charge sheets have already been filed in some of these cases, while investigations into the backgrounds of the other accused are ongoing, with authorities also seeking additional information from Jharkhand.
The Bihar Police has stated that these arrests deliver a significant setback to Maoist operations in the region. Further intelligence gathering and strategic operations are underway to dismantle the group's network completely.