Jharkhand Police Arrest PLFI Chief Amrit Horo, Carrying Rs 10 Lakh Reward

Ranchi- In a major breakthrough against extremist activities in Jharkhand, Ranchi Police have arrested Amrit Horo, a top commander of the banned People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), officials said on Thursday.

The Jharkhand government had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

According to police, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan received intelligence inputs that Horo would attend a wedding ceremony in Jamakel village located along the Ranchi-Khunti border.

Acting swiftly on the information, a special team comprising the Quick Response Team (QRT) and other police units launched a late-night operation, surrounded the area and successfully apprehended him.

Police officials said Amrit Horo is a native of Jamakel village and had been constantly changing hideouts to avoid arrest. He was reportedly active in the forested border regions of Ranchi and Khunti districts for a long time.

Following his arrest, he was shifted to a secure location for interrogation. Investigators are questioning him to gather details about his network, associates, arms hideouts and the organisation’s activities. Officials from Khunti Police are also expected to interrogate him.

Police records indicate that Horo is wanted in several serious criminal cases across Ranchi, Khunti and adjoining districts. The charges against him include extortion, illegal levy collection from construction companies and railway projects, arson, firing incidents and encounters with security forces.

Security agencies had earlier come close to arresting him around one-and-a-half years ago during an encounter operation, but he managed to escape using the dense forest and hilly terrain.

Amrit Horo became the chief of the People’s Liberation Front of India last year after the outfit’s supremo Martin Kerketta was killed in an encounter in the Kamdara area of Gumla district.

Since then, Horo had allegedly been leading and coordinating the outfit’s operations.

Police believe his arrest could deal a major blow to the PLFI’s organisational structure and financial network in the region.

With inputs from IANS