Maoist Sanjay Yadav sent to judicial custody after ATS Maharashtra arrest
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, November 11: Sanjay Yadav alias Sanjay Godram (45), a former Maoist zonal commander arrested by the Anti-Terrorism…
Palamu SP Kapil Chaudhary addresses a press conference in Daltonganj on Wednesday. The arrested Maoist, apprehended by Maharashtra ATS, is standing behind the police team.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, November 11: Sanjay Yadav alias Sanjay Godram (45), a former Maoist zonal commander arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra, was remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday after his two-day police remand ended in Palamu district.
Yadav, who was arrested on November 5 from an area under Thane police station limits in Maharashtra, was brought to Jharkhand following coordinated efforts by the ATS Maharashtra and Palamu police.
Addressing a press conference in Daltonganj on Wednesday, Palamu Superintendent of Police Kapil Chaudhary described Yadav’s journey from a feared Maoist operative to a daily-wage worker at a cattle shed in Maharashtra as an example of a misguided armed struggle.
Joined Maoist outfit to reclaim grabbed land
According to SP Chaudhary, Yadav joined the Maoist outfit around 14-15 years ago with the stated objective of reclaiming his allegedly grabbed land.
“This zonal commander had joined a Maoist outfit about 14 or 15 years ago to reclaim his grabbed land but despite being a force to reckon with, he couldn’t reclaim his land grabbed by others in all this time he marshalled like a ruthless naxal,” the SP said.
Instead, Yadav allegedly became involved in 63 Maoist-related criminal cases across Bihar and Jharkhand.
Of these, 30 cases are registered in Bihar, including 20 in Aurangabad district and 10 in Gaya district. In Jharkhand, he faces 33 cases, of which 32 are registered in Palamu district and one in Garhwa district.
Yadav carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh announced by Bihar Police, while Jharkhand Police had announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for his arrest, the SP said.
Linked to several major Maoist attacks
Police said Yadav was allegedly involved in several violent incidents during his years with the Maoist organisation.
His alleged criminal activities included attacks on members of the rival Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), the 2019 bombing of a BJP office ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the killing of JMM leader Mohan Gupta in 2019 and the 2016 landmine blast that killed seven policemen.
Police sources said the fall of the Burha Pahar Maoist stronghold and successive security operations had weakened the organisation’s presence, leaving Yadav increasingly isolated and short of both cadres and safe hideouts.
Working at cattle shed in Maharashtra
After years of underground activity, Yadav had reportedly taken up work as a daily-wage labourer at a cattle shed, locally known as a khatal, in Maharashtra.
His attempt to begin a new life was cut short when the Maharashtra ATS, acting on a specific tip-off from Jharkhand, traced and detained him on November 5 from an area under Thane police station limits.
A two-member Palamu Police team led by Chhatarpur SDPO Prashant Kumar travelled to Maharashtra on November 6 to bring him back.
Yadav was flown to Ranchi and subsequently transported by road to Daltonganj between November 7 and 10. He was initially taken on a two-day police remand beginning November 10.
Following the expiry of the remand period on Wednesday, he was sent to judicial custody.
Confessional leads help recover buried arms and ammunition
During interrogation, information provided by Yadav reportedly helped Palamu Police recover a cache of buried arms and ammunition from the Kaimo-Dudhiya forest in the Hussainabad subdivision on November 10.
A police raid team led by Hussainabad SDPO Divyansh Shukla recovered one 7.62 mm self-loading rifle (SLR), 290 live cartridges of different calibres and other materials, SP Chaudhary said.
Police described the recovery as a significant development in the investigation into the activities of the Maoist network in the region.
Police describe arrest as major breakthrough
A police officer said the arrest was not merely the apprehension of a former Maoist commander or the recovery of hidden weapons, but also reflected the consequences of prolonged involvement in extremist activities.
Naxal watcher Roshan Lal said the case illustrated how a former zonal commander, after becoming isolated within the organisation, had attempted to start a new life through daily-wage employment but was eventually traced because of his past.
Police sources said Yadav had allegedly attempted to evade detection by using a pseudonym, but sustained tracking and coordination between Jharkhand and Maharashtra police led to his arrest.
SP Chaudhary’s monitoring of the operation and the coordinated efforts of the police teams were instrumental in bringing the operation to a successful conclusion, sources said.
