Top Maoist with Rs.5 Lakh Bounty Surrenders in Jharkhand’s Latehar

Latehar : Lovelesh Ganjhu, a senior commander of the banned Maoist group Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad (JJMP), surrendered before the police in Latehar on Tuesday, officials confirmed.

Ganjhu, who had a reward of ?5 lakh on his head, laid down arms in front of Palamu Zonal IG Sunil Bhaskar, Latehar SP Kumar Gaurav, and senior CRPF officers.

A long-time operative in the Maoist-affected regions of Latehar and neighboring districts, Ganjhu was wanted in numerous criminal cases, including extortion and attacks on security forces. Despite several police operations, his arrest had proven elusive due to his evasive tactics.

Officials said that persistent joint operations by state police and the CRPF eventually forced him into a corner. Investigations also revealed that he had been using fake identities and vehicles to avoid capture. However, growing financial difficulties and a shrinking cadre base led to his decision to surrender.

His surrender is seen as a major blow to the already dwindling JJMP, especially after the death of its top leader Pappu Lohara in an encounter two months ago.

This is the second major surrender in recent weeks, following that of JJMP area commander Baijnath Singh on June 18.

Authorities reiterated that surrendered extremists will be offered rehabilitation under existing policies, but warned those still active in insurgency to surrender or face strict action.

With inputs from IANS