A swift police operation in Jharkhand’s Khunti district has crippled a key extortion cell of the outlawed PLFI, leading to the arrest of six militants and recovery of arms and evidence of widespread shakedowns. The Friday evening raid by the canal near Tajna River was based on precise intelligence received by SP Manish Toppo, who briefed media on Saturday.
Named in the arrests are Vijay Bhokta, Dhiraj Kumar, Abhishek Kumar alias Abhishek Ram, Shubham Kumar Poddar, Nimish Gop alias Honey, and veteran operative Ram Ayodhya Sharma alias Raja Sharma from Ranchi. The team under SDPO Varun Rajak first nabbed three at the riverside meet-up spot, where the group was allegedly plotting a violent act while handling levy collections.
Pursuing leads from questioning, officers intercepted the XUV-500 fleeing towards Ranchi at Kalamati, securing the remaining trio. The haul was substantial: one improvised pistol (7.65mm), magazines, 22 cartridges, multiple phones, financial documents under various names, PLFI propaganda leaflets, detailed extortion notebooks listing targets’ details, and seized cars.
The militants confessed to a digital-age modus operandi—scouting business targets, relaying data to imprisoned comrades, generating burner numbers for threats, and escalating to gunfire if levies weren’t paid. These tactics fueled several high-profile incidents, from bombings at liquor outlets to shootings at industrial sites in Khunti and nearby areas.
Notably, Shubham Poddar boasts a criminal history with two imprisonments, and Raja Sharma has Arms Act convictions. Police have linked the gang to events like the Pipratoli blast, Dugdugia firing, threats to Yash Sahu, and Dodma attack. With a FIR filed, intensified searches continue to uproot the network, signaling a robust anti-Naxal push in the region.