4 members of banned PLFI held in J'khand, arms seized, attempt to torch vehicles foiled

Khunti, Aug 18 (PTI) Four members of the banned People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), including Maoist Ojha Pahan, were arrested from Jharkhand's Khunti district, and their attempt to extort government contractors was foiled, police said on Monday.

Arms and Maoist literature were recovered from their possession, a senior officer said.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Torpa sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Christopher Kerketta raided the Jibilong Tangri area in Rania late on Sunday and arrested Pahan and three others, Khunti Superintendent of Police (SP) Manish Toppo told PTI.

"Arrested Maoist Ojha Pahan was in jail previously for torching vehicles and was wanted in around 10 cases in various police stations of Khunti, neighbouring Ranchi and Gumla districts,” the SP said.

Three other members of PLFI, a splinter group of CPI (Maoist), are Xavier Kongadi (29), Santosh Kongadi (27) and Jibunus Aind (31), the police said.

Pahan is a native of Gumla district, and the three others hail from Khunti.

The police seized two arms and ammunition, literature supporting PLFI, and a mobile phone, which was used to threaten contractors and businessmen, the officer said.

The police also claimed to have recovered a plastic bottle containing petrol, which could be used to torch vehicles deployed for construction works. PTI CORR NAM BDC