During a joint combing operation of Rajgangpur police and DVF team, a member of the People’s liberation Front of India (PlFI) was arrested on Monday. Police seized one rifle, live bullets and PlFI literature from the accused, who forwarded to court on Monday afternoon.
Sources said acting on a tip-off on Monday midnight at around 1.30 am, Rajangpur police team led by IIC AK Swain and DVF team went near a tree beneath a hill of Ranipia village of Maldih gram panchayat. They noticed a shed on the top of the tree where one suspected PlFI member was hiding. When the police and DVF team threatened him to come down, the man obliged and was arrested. After his arrest, one rifle, 15 live bullets, PlFI books and letter heads were recovered from his shed. The man was identified as Panu Barla (23), a resident of Dhapapada in Ranipia village.
During interrogation, Panu confessed that he is a PlFI member and also described that during the raid of Rajgangpur police on August 2 last in Tumunjharan forest, he and other PlFI members of his group had been able to escape from the spot. The police had seized their arms and ammunitions.
According to police sources, on September 5 last, one Md Ali Raja, a PlFI member, had been arrested by Rajgangpur police. He had disclosed that Panu and another eight PlFI members, including him, led by their commander Arjun Gope had fled from the spot during the police raid in Tumanjharan forest on August 2. Police are now searching other PlFI members to nab them including commander Gope.
“We have arrested Panu Barla, who has been identified as a PlFI member. We are also searching other members of his group, including their commander,” said IIC Swain.