The Garhwa police on Sunday arrested a former Maoist leader along with his lady love. The arrested Maoist Bhanu Singh Kharwar and his lady love Vrindra Kumari were arrested from Karri forest under Ranka police station after four months of marathon raid campaign, a police officer said.
The Ultra and her lady love were arrested on charges of extortion and other criminal activities. The police also recovered a AK-47 rifle and live ammunitions from their possession. Besides the AK 47 Rifle with folded butt, 20 rounds of ammunition ,one pistol two 315 live cartridges, one Magazine, seven mobile phones, one solar panel, one dairy were also seized from their possession.
Karwar had earlier surrendered before police, but in 2020 when he came out of jail he once again started Naxal activities. He later formed his own splinter groups and started carrying out Nalxal activities such as levy collection.
Led by SDPO Sudarshan Kumar Astique, a joint team of Ranka, Ramkanda and Chiniya police on a tip off raided the Jun and Karri forest, located on Chhatisgarh border and nabbed the ultras.
"The Naxals activity was increasing continuously in Ranka, Chinia, Ramkanda, Chainpur. To curb this, the police was continuously conducting special raids on their hideouts in these areas. Meanwhile, on the basis of secret information, special team raided at the forest and arrested them,” said Superintendent of Police Anjani Kumar Jha . "The hardcore Maoist leader Kharwar, who was allegedly involved in over one dozen cases, had surrendered before the police on 1, October 2016,” added Jha.
He came out of jail on bail in the month of June 2020. SP Jha said the man had not changed at all. He again started terrorising people. Eight cases were registered against him post bail.
This man was again caught and jailed in July 2021 and spent one and a half months after which he once again was released on bail. However, soon he began to extort and collect levy. To activate the Naxalite organization after released from jail Bhanu was expanding the organization by luring the young girls. Six cases are registered against the militant before surrendering and after coming out of jail, eight cases are registered in different police stations.
The SP said that he started strengthening the TPC once again. He was operative in the areas under Chiniya, Ramkanda and Ranka police stations in Garhwa district. Bhanu also had sway in Palamu’s Chainpur.