THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Chatra, Nov. 25: The Chatra police have arrested Maoist subzonal commander Baban Bhokta a.k.a Baban Kokia.
Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan today announced this success and said the police team had recovered 20 detonators and batteries from Bhokta.
Ranjan said information came that Bhokta was in his village Hara, Naukadih of Pratappur block to commit some big crime. He said he formed a team led by SDPO Avinash Kumar and comprised of officers-in-charge Sanoj Kumar Choudhary (Huntergunj), Gulam Sarwar (Giddhaur) beside ASIs Nitesh Kumar Dubey (Huntergunj), Satyawan Kumar (Pratappur), Nand Kumar Bhagat of bomb disposal squad. He said the team carried a raid in the village on Friday arresting Bhokta from there.
On interrogation, Bhokta admitted to planting can bombs at Hara Naktaiya Pahad to target the police team carrying out a combing operation in this area. The bomb disposal squad had diffused the bombs.
Ranjan said Bhokta was wanted in five cases of arson, arms acts to demand levy in the district. In August this year, he had set ablaze machines engaged in road construction work in Chhatarpur of Palamu district. Ranjan said Bhokta was part of a team which had a gunbattle with police in June this year in the Bikopur forests of Gaya in Bihar.
The SP urged extremists to shun violence and join the mainstream to take the advantage of surrender policy of the state government. He said the surrender policy now ensures the shifting of surrendered Maoists to open jail within 24 hours of laying arms in front of police.
