A wanted sub-zonal commander of CPI(Maoists) , carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, has been arrested by the joint team of Garhwa, Palamu police and CRPF 172 from a village of the district, police said on Thursday.
Rabindra Mehta alias Chhota Vyas, a sub-zonal commander of Middle Bihar Regional Committee of CPI (Maoist), was arrested from Budhikhand village under Manjhiaon police limit around 22 km away from the district headquarter , by the team that had gone there upon receiving a tip-off, Garhwa Superintendent of Police (SP) Anjani Kumar Jha said.
Describing it as a big catch, the Garhwa SP said that the breakthrough had given a major jolt to Maoist movement along the Gaya - Aurangabad (Bihar) and Palamu corridor.
He said Mehta, who was a resident of Kaudiya village under Bishrampur police station of Palamu district, was involved in 16 cases lodged at various police stations of Palamu, Gaya and Aurangabad. He carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh in Jharkhand. Its working area has been in the border area of Palamu, Gaya, Aurangabad including Chakarbanda Jungle.
The prominent cases included the blowing up Panchayat Bhawan under Madanpur police station area during election in 2021, an encounter with police at Latiya forest, Gaya Bihar in 2021 besides this he is also involved in around 5 to 6 encounters with the police. He has been associated with the Maoist organization since 2016.
The reward, which was placed on its head by the government, will be distributed among the police team, the SP added.