Ranchi, April 2: The arrest of Ram Mohan Singh Munda (35), the notorious Maoist zonal commander who was picked up from Bundiyaru village of Ranchi district on Thursday evening, has left the Naxalite organisation radar-less in Bundu-Chandil zone, police claimed today.
Describing it as a big catch, Ranchi SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi said that the breakthrough had given a major jolt to Maoist movement along the 75km Saranda-Parasnath red corridor that stretches from the Porahat jungles of West Singhbhum to Jhumra hills in Bokaro and also passes through areas bordering Bengal and Odisha.
"Apart from Kundan Pahan, another senior Maoist leader, Munda was the only person in the organisation who could pilot the rebels through the difficult terrains of Bundu-Chandil zone, a part of the Saranda-Parasnath red corridor. With his arrest, Naxalites will now find it difficult to pass through the corridor covered by forests and hillocks," Dwivedi said at a news meet at his office where Munda, along with two other rebels Panchu Lohra (28) and Sakra Lohra (30), was produced this afternoon.
The commandant of the 133rd CRPF battalion, N.K. Pandey, and ASP (operations) Harshpal Singh and other police and CRPF officers were also present.
Security forces rounded up Munda (35), who was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, Panchu and Sakra from Bundiyaru village in Bundu, around 40km from the state capital, following a brief encounter on Thursday evening.
"The Maoists had assembled at Bundiyaru village to discuss their future course," the SSP said.
A huge cache or arms and ammunition, including one SLR, one 303 rifle, a 9mm pistol and around 250 rounds of live cartridges, was recovered from their possession.
Further, acting on the information provided by the three rebels, police recovered as many as 25 IEDs planted at strategic locations in Bundu and defused them yesterday.
Dwivedi said that Munda was wanted in at least 49 cases lodged at various police stations of Ranchi, Khunti, Ramgarh and Seraikela.
The prominent cases included the murder of deputy superintendent of police Pramod Kumar on June 30, 2008, in Pundiri of Tamar, the hijack of a van of ICICI Bank carrying Rs 5 crore in cash and one kg of gold on May 21, 2008, also in Tamar and the murder of Bundu MLA Ramesh Singh Munda on July 9, 2008.
Munda was also part of the Maoist squad that got engaged in an encounter with security forces at Nawadih forest in Bundu on February 19 this year. Four Naxalites, including a women rebel, were killed in the encounter but Munda managed to flee.
Asked about Kundan Pahan, whom police could not arrest so far, SSP Dwivedi said: "If Munda was to be believed, Kundan Pahan left the organisation in October 2013 with his five confidants. He took away one AK-47 and two SLRs. He was recently spotted near Maranghada and has apparently constituted a different organisation."
Another senior officer, however, said that police were yet to verify the information.
Rebel held
Rebel Ayodhya Singh Kahrwar, the right hand of Maoist area commander Bhanu Singh Kharwar, was arrested on Saturday from Chapalsi forest in Ranka of Garhwa district.
A pistol, six live cartridges and Naxalite literature were found on him.
Police said Ayodhya was nabbed on the basis of information provided by Chhotu Singh Kahrwar, another Maoist who was nabbed on Friday.
