No splinter group of ultras namely JJMP (Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad) TPC (Tirtaye Prastuti Committee) or Peoples’ liberation Front of India (PlFI) are being patronised, as alleged, by the latehar police in order to checkmate the dreaded CPI-Maoists.

The sense got a boost on Saturday when a police crackdown forced eight ultras of the splinter group JJMP to surrender. The police also recovered huge amount of ammunition and arms.

Popular perception has been that splinter groups are protected by the police to use them against the Maoists. latehar SP Michael S Raj speaking to The Pioneer on Sunday said there is no question of any splinter group gaining more teeth following this severe jolt to the JJMP. 

The CPI Maoist has seen many vertical splits and the splinter groups are too many, nevertheless the CPI Maoists retain its old dreadfulness. Its expertise in laying land mines and ambushing security forces remain most feared thing even today.

However the SP said the JJMP will need time now to stand up but say that it is all written off will be far away from reality. The JJMP has still its cadres which may pop up anywhere latehar. Sources said, for any splinter group, loss of weapon and ammunition is a big loss. loss of human resources (read ultras by way of arrest/surrender) can be replenished over the passage of time but for ammunitions hard cash is to be spent. If not then its procurement is done by inducting more people.

The SP said, “The police acted with restraint and respected human rights as there was the exchange of fire between the JJMP and the police in which the police had fired little over a dozen rounds of bullets and in a situation like this anything could have been done by the police to get them. But we gave these eight an opportunity to surrender.”