THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Dec 31: In 2024, Jharkhand Police arrested a total of 244 Maoists, including one Special Area Committee (SAC) member, two zonal commanders, six sub-zonal commanders, and six area commanders. Key arrests included Jaya Di alias Chinta (SAC member), Shambhu Ganjhu alias Ravi Ganjhu (zonal commander, carrying a reward of ₹10 lakh), and Sitaram Rajwar alias Raman Rajwar (₹10 lakh reward).
At a press conference on Tuesday, IG (Operations) AV Homkar, CID IG Asim Vikrant Minj, and DIG Personnel Naushad Alam highlighted the year’s achievements.
In addition, TPC (Tritiya Prastuti Committee) militants such as Adesh Kumar Ganjhu, Sabita Sharma alias Raja Ji alias Abhishek, Shivraj Singh (₹5 lakh reward), National Bhuiya (₹5 lakh reward), Fenku Bhuiya alias Sarvanash, Ranthhu Oraon alias Gurucharan Oraon (₹5 lakh reward), and Irfan Ansari were also apprehended. The state government had announced rewards totalling ₹36 lakh for these Maoists.
24 Maoists Surrendered
In 2024, 24 Maoists surrendered to the police, including four zonal commanders, one sub-zonal commander, three area commanders, and one member. Additionally, nine Maoists were killed during police encounters this year.
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The police recovered a total of 123 weapons, including 35 looted police weapons, seven standard firearms, and 81 locally made weapons. Other recoveries included 5,234 bullets, 246.40 kg of explosives, and ₹13.39 lakh in levy collections. Furthermore, Jharkhand Police destroyed 239 IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) planted by Maoists.
Cybercrime: 1,295 Cases Registered
A total of 1,295 cybercrime cases were reported in 2024, leading to the arrest of 971 accused. Police seized 2,118 mobile phones, 2,905 SIM cards, 606 ATM cards, 165 bank passbooks, 45 chequebooks, 52 laptops, 12 four-wheelers, and 70 other vehicles. Cash recoveries amounted to ₹8.17 crore, and ₹77.20 lakh was frozen in bank accounts.
The Pratibimb App also played a significant role in curbing cybercrime. Using this app, 274 cases were registered across the state, resulting in the arrest of 898 individuals. Police recovered 2,501 SIM cards and 1,774 mobile phones from these suspects. Additionally, ₹66.43 crore was frozen in accounts, and ₹3.27 crore was returned to victims.
Action Against Drug Trade
According to IG Homkar, 1,362 individuals involved in drug-related activities were arrested in 2024.
Organized Crime: 154 Gang Members Arrested
Jharkhand Police registered 97 cases related to organized crime this year, leading to the arrest of 154 gang members. Among these were 41 members from the Pandey gang, 43 from the Aman Saw gang, four from the Prince Khan gang, one from the Sujit Sinha gang, three from the Aman Srivastava gang, four from the Akhilesh Singh gang, and 58 other criminals.
A significant arrest included Govind Rai, the second-in-command of the Pandey gang, who carried a reward of ₹25,000. Police recovered five firearms, 67 bullets, one country-made bomb, nine mobile phones, two motorcycles, and ₹63,000 from gang members.
Four Al Qaeda Terrorists Arrested
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested four Al Qaeda operatives from various districts, working in collaboration with a joint team. Additionally, ATS detained seven suspects in cases related to the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation and Jharkhand State Electricity Employees Master Trust. These operations resulted in the recovery of jewellery worth ₹15 lakh, ₹1.22 crore in cash, and the freezing of ₹47.20 crore in bank accounts.
Welfare Initiatives for Police Personnel
IG Homkar emphasized that several initiatives were undertaken for the welfare of police personnel in 2024.
Public Grievance Resolution Programmes
Under the instructions of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the guidance of DGP Anurag Gupta, Public Grievance Resolution Programmes were organized across all districts. During these events, police addressed the concerns of citizens and resolved issues promptly.
“The entire Jharkhand Police team, under the leadership of DGP Anurag Gupta, is committed to making the state free of crime and extremism in the new year. We will remain vigilant and sensitive to the needs of citizens, striving to create a safer and better society,” assured IG Homkar.
