Top Maoist leader held

Ranchi: A top Maoist leader, who masterminded several attacks on security personnel in the Saranda region, has been arrested from Hapedag forest in Ranchi district, police said.
Krishna Ahir, alias Prasadji, who has a reward of Rs 20 lakh on his head, was arrested from Hapedag forest under Angara police station during Operation Dron, jointly carried out by the state police and CRPF personnel two days ago.However, Ahir was presented before the media on Thursday.
Police said the CPI(Maoist) Jharkhand regional committee leader was kept in an undisclosed location for questioning about Maoist cadres’ plans to disrupt Independence Day celebrations.
State DGP Rajiv Kumar said the arrest of Ahir was an important development as the regional committee member was accused of masterminding four major attacks on police teams, particularly in the Saranda region in which 54 security personnel were killed in the last few years.
A resident of Arki block in Khunti district, 40-year-old Prasadji has been actively associated with the Maoist movement for 15 years and was responsible for the Goelkera PS incident of 2009 in which nine police personnel and one inspector of CRPF was killed.
Prasadji was also instrumental in Baliva encounter of Saranda region in which 20 policemen and nine CRPF personnel were killed. Thalkobad encounter, in which 12 CRPF personnel were killed and Digha attack, in which two policemen and one CRPF jawan were killed, were also planned and executed by Prasadji and his team.
The senior Maoist leader, known for his ambush strategy, is wanted in over 60 cases lodged in three districts.
The DGP said they had concrete information about Prasadji and his team comprising 15-20 armed cadres coming to Ranchi from Jhumra forests in Bokaro. Police also seized one AK 47, bullets and explosives from Prasadji.