Ranchi: With Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) chief Pappu Lohra’s death in Latehar on Saturday, security forces in the state have managed to either arrest or eliminate all heads of major LWE splinter groups which are active in Jharkhand.“The state police are conducting intensive operations against the splinter groups which include the People Liberation Front of India (PLFI), Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) and the JJMP. The director general of police, Anurag Gupta, has directed that emphasis should be on eradicating the splinter groups from the state as well,” IG (operations) Amol Homkar said.Pappu’s death could be the end of JJMP with many of its operatives laying down their arms under the state govt’ surrender policy. Now, JJMP is restricted to less than 30 members in Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Ranchi and Palamu districts. Police are also considering the death of Pappu as a salute to martyred Jharkhand Jaguar deputy commandant Rajesh Kumar who was killed in an encounter with a squad led Pappu in Latehar in 2021.On May 2023, PLFI supremo Dinesh Gope was arrested. Moreover, police said, Brajesh, the chief of TSPC, is inactive and they have arrested the outfit’s leader Akraman Ganjhu in March this year.Union minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth visited the private hospital in Ranchi where a jawan, Awadh Singh, injured in Saturday’s encounter, is undergoing treatment. “Anti-Naxal operations are underway across the country and this menace is on the wane due to the efforts of our security forces,” Seth said.
