Giridih (Jharkhand): In a major success in Jharkhand’s anti-Naxal operation, the Giridih police have arrested Ajay Mahto alias Tiger alias Basudev, a senior Maoist leader carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh, officials said on Friday.
Mahto, a member of the Special Area Committee (SAC) of the banned CPI (Maoist), had long been a key target for security agencies. He was wanted in more than 100 cases, including murder, attacks on police personnel, extortion, and IED blasts.
According to police, intelligence inputs indicated that Mahto had moved from the Giridih forest to the plains. Acting on the information, a joint team comprising the Giridih Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the CoBRA battalion launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Harladih area and successfully apprehended him.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from his possession during the operation.
A resident of Nawadih village under Pirtaand police station limits in Giridih district, Mahto is believed to have been a close associate of top Maoist leader Misir Besra, who carries a reward of Rs 1 crore.
Investigators say he played a crucial role in running Maoist activities in the Parasnath region and strengthening the organisation’s extortion network.
Police records show that Mahto faces over 100 criminal cases registered across several districts, including Giridih, Bokaro, Dhanbad, and Hazaribagh. The charges against him range from murder and ambushes on police and security forces to damaging public property, carrying out IED explosions, extortion, and expanding the Maoist network.
The Jharkhand government had already sanctioned prosecution against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other serious legal provisions.
Mahto’s name had also surfaced in the high-profile 2012 murder case of P.C. Sharma, then General Manager of the Bharatvarshiya Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra Committee at Madhuban. He had been absconding for years in connection with the case.
Investigators further allege that Mahto operated an extortion network targeting road construction firms, crusher operators, and other businesses in the coal belt areas of Giridih and Bokaro.
Security officials believe his arrest will deal a major blow to Maoist activities in Jharkhand’s Parasnath region.
Police are interrogating Mahto and expect to obtain crucial information regarding the Maoist network, active members, and arms hideouts operating in the region.
(IANS)
