RANCHI: Maoist Area Commander Johan Topno, belonging to the splinter group People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), was arrested from Gumla. According to police, Topno was quite active in Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand and had managed to escape several encounters with police.
Police said that Topno, on the directions of PLFI Chief Dinesh Gope, had gone to revive its organization in Kamdara, Basia, Kurkura, Rania, Khunti and Torpa areas in Gumla during which a raid was conducted and was arrested. Two of his aides, however, managed to escape from the spot,” said Gumla SP Ehtesham
Wakarib.
On a tip-off that Topno along with his cadre has been spotted in Turdu village under Kamdara Police Station, a police team was formed and the place was raided, he added.
The SP said that when police team reached there, three suspects were spotted at Dahu Toli Chowk who stated running away. Police chased them and arrested one of the three persons who disclosed his name as Johan Topno during the interrogation, he said.
“One loaded country made pistol and a few cartridges have also been recovered from him. Meanwhile, a hunt is on to arrest the two persons who escaped from the spot,” said the SP. Topno had also been arrested earlier in 2018, but was out on bail after some times, he said.
According to SP, Topno had been a terror in the four districts of Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum and was wanted in at least 14 cases related to loot, extortion, arms act, levy collection and murder.