RANCHI: In a major breakthrough in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism, Jharkhand Police have arrested CPI (Maoist) Regional Committee Member Ravindra Ganjhu, one of the organisation's most wanted leaders, from Latehar. The police have officially confirmed the arrest.
According to police sources, an AK-56 rifle, a pistol and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from his possession. Ganjhu had remained a key challenge for security forces for years while operating underground and allegedly overseeing Maoist activities in the region.
The Jharkhand government had announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for information leading to his arrest, while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had declared an additional Rs 5 lakh reward. He was wanted in connection with several serious Maoist-related cases.
According to police sources, they received a tip-off that Ravindra Ganjhu was hiding in the Latehar area, either to execute a major incident or to meet his squad. Acting on the information, a joint team of district police and central forces (CRPF) launched an operation, cordoned off the area, and apprehended him. The modern weapons recovered from him during the search serve as evidence that he was still plotting to incite unrest in the state, they said.
Ravindra Ganjhu gained significant notoriety following the Lukaiya ambush. He had orchestrated an ambush on security forces in the Lukaiya area, located on the border of Lohardaga and Latehar, resulting in the martyrdom of four police personnel.
Following this incident, a massive operation named 'Operation Double Bull' was launched in February 2022 to apprehend him, but he managed to evade the security forces and escape.
According to the police, Ganjhu played a pivotal role in most major Maoist attacks that occurred prior to 2019 across the Latehar, Lohardaga and McCluskieganj area of Ranchi. Security agencies had been monitoring his activities for a long time.
He was said to be the last remaining top-ranking Maoist leader active in the region.
Ganjhu's arrest is being hailed as a major success for the Jharkhand Police's anti-Naxal campaign. The police are currently interrogating him to gather crucial leads regarding the organization's network, arms supply, and other Maoist activities.
Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had attached a pucca house built by him at Banjhitola in Latehar's Chandwa block, alleging that it had been constructed using money extorted through levy collections. Despite the action, Ganjhu remained underground and continued to play an active role in the CPI (Maoist)'s operations.
