Two Top JJMP Cadres Held in Early-Morning Raids in Latehar

Latehar: Security forces arrested two prominent cadres of the outlawed Maoist outfit Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) during early-morning raids in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested men — Sunil Oraon alias Mantu and Mukesh Lohara — were both carrying a reward of ?2 lakh each.

According to Latehar SP Kumar Gaurav, the arrests are a significant setback for JJMP, which has been steadily losing strength. Post the encounter death of commander Pappu Lohara, intelligence inputs indicated renewed attempts by the group to reorganise.

A team under SDPO Arvind Kumar was formed with personnel from Latehar and Manika police stations. Oraon was found near Navagarh village, while Lohara was traced to Purni Palheya.

Between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., simultaneous raids were conducted at both locations, leading to the swift arrest of the two commanders.

Police said Oraon is wanted in more than seven Maoist cases, whereas Lohara is implicated in two criminal cases linked to extremism. Both had recently escaped during an encounter.

SP Gaurav noted that ongoing operations have nearly crippled the outfit, leaving only a handful of members active. In the past six months, two major JJMP leaders — including its chief — were killed, and several others surrendered.

The operation was carried out with support from Manika and Latehar police teams, including officers Shashi Kumar, Ramakant Gupta, SI Vikrant Upadhyay, Rahul Kumar Sinha, Vikas Kumar, Dharamveer Singh, and others.

Police affirmed that the crackdown will continue until the group is fully dismantled.

With inputs from IANS