Latest news with #Jharkhand-based
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Maoist informer held in explosives loot case
1 2 Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: Police on Sunday arrested a Maoist informer in connection with the audacious May 27 loot of 5,000 kg of industrial explosives by armed rebels from a stone quarry in Sundargarh district, bordering Jharkhand. Police identified the accused as George Munda alias Kulu Munda (43), a resident of Banko village near the stone quarry. Police said Munda had alerted the Maoists about the truck carrying explosives. The arrest came a day after a CRPF officer was killed following an IED blast triggered by the rebels in a forest near Banko during an anti-Maoist operation launched in the wake of the explosives loot. "Munda is the main conspirator. He passed on information to Maoists in neighbouring Jharkhand about the movement of gelatin sticks in a truck to the quarry. Munda also joined the Maoists in their operation in robbing the stone-blasting materials on May 27," said DIG (western range), Bijesh Kumar Rai. Police said Anmol, a Jharkhand-based Maoist leader, and his team pulled off the heist based on information provided by Munda. The armed Maoists had hijacked the truckload of explosives enroute the quarry, adjoining the Saranda forests in Jharkhand. SP (Rourkela) Nitesh Wadhwani said Munda planned the loot in Jan-Feb. Asked about how long the accused was involved with the Maoists, the SP said, "We are thoroughly verifying his antecedents and his link with Maoists. Prima facie investigation revealed he is a militia member and was acting as a helping hand for Maoists. We are also verifying the potential involvement of others from the locality." A villager's arrest has raised concerns in Sundargarh, which was declared Maoist-free status by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in April 2024. Police sources said Munda had been opposing the Banko stone quarry's operations for quite some time. He allegedly connived with Maoists in the neighbouring state to disrupt the quarry operations. "Maoists who executed the loot were being persuaded by Munda since Jan. Munda's motive was to take revenge against the stone quarry operator," a police officer said. Earlier, Munda earned his living through unauthorised stone extraction. His work stopped when the govt granted the quarry lease to a businessman. "Subsequently, Munda approached Anmol in Jharkhand seeking assistance for retribution," the officer said. Munda suggested to Anmol they could loot explosives for use against security personnel, a proposal that Anmol agreed to. Police found that Munda and Anmol met several times before implementing their plan. "We have so far recovered 3,811.30 kg of the looted explosives near the inter-state border through a sustained joint operation with Jharkhand police and CRPF," Wadhwani said.
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
IED blast kills CRPF ASI in Odisha forest weeks after Maoists looted explosives
ROURKELA: An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the Jharkhand-based 134 CRPF battalion was martyred in an IED blast on Saturday early morning along the Odisha-Jharkhand border during a joint combing operation against Maoist operatives. The explosion occurred in the Banko forest under K Balang police station limits of Rourkela Police District (RPD), about 95 km from Rourkela, in Sundargarh district of Odisha. The martyred ASI, Satwan Singh (34), belonged to the 134 CRPF battalion stationed in West Singhbhum district of neighbouring Jharkhand. The blast site has remained tense, especially as it comes in the wake of the banned CPI (Maoist) operatives hijacking a truck and looting industrial explosives from the same Banko forest on May 27. After several years of relative calm, Naxal-related violence has resurfaced on the Odisha side of the border. Sources said that following the blast, the critically injured CRPF personnel was rushed to Apollo Hospital in Rourkela around 9:30 am, where he succumbed to his injuries around 11 am. DIG of Police (Western Range), Brijesh Kumar Rai, said, 'During the joint combing operation, an IED blast occurred around 5:45 am in the connecting Banko forest with the Saranda forest along the Odisha-Jharkhand border, in which a CRPF jawan was injured and later succumbed.' He added that the Odisha-Jharkhand border has been put on high alert and security has been further beefed up. Both DIG Rai and Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani visited the hospital. SP Wadhwani said the anti-Maoist operation would continue with necessary safeguards. Following the explosive truck loot on the morning of May 27, security forces from Odisha, including SOG and DVF personnel, along with their counterparts from Jharkhand—CRPF, CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar—have been conducting intensified search and anti-Naxal operations in the Maoist stronghold of the dense Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The hijacked truck was believed to be carrying nearly five tonnes of industrial explosives. During the ongoing operations, around 3.8 tonnes of the explosives have been recovered from different parts of the Saranda forest.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Time of India
Rakhial man nabbed for credit card data fraud
Ahmedabad: A 28-year-old man from Rakhial was detained in Makarba in the city for allegedly being involved in cyber fraud activities using stolen credit card data provided by a network based in Jharkhand, said city police officers on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, police reached a cafe in Makarba and located the suspect. Upon checking his mobile phones, the police suspected that the devices contained data related to cyber fraud. Preliminary questioning revealed that the suspect was purchasing mobile phones through e-commerce platforms like Croma, Vijay Sales, and Zepto using credit card data shared with him via a contact saved as Sagar J K. He then used to sell the phones, retaining a commission, and sending the remaining cash to Jharkhand using CDM (cash deposit machines). Police said he also admitted to using the stolen credit card data to pay utility bills, such as electricity bills of Torrent Power. The suspect's WhatsApp chats, Gmail IDs, and other stored data on his phones were examined, leading to the seizure of two mobile phones. Screenshots of WhatsApp chats, contact numbers, and Gmail credentials linked to fraudulent transactions were documented as part of the evidence. The suspect was brought to the Cybercrime police station for further questioning. He admitted that he acted on instructions from Jharkhand-based individuals and was involved in multiple financial frauds through e-commerce purchases and utility bill payments. A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act. Investigation is ongoing to identify other accomplices and trace the full extent of the fraud network.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Time of India
Cops identify Maoist mastermind behind theft of explosives
1 2 Bhubaneswar: Odisha police have identified Anmol, a Jharkhand-based Maoist leader, as the mastermind behind the recent theft of around 5,000 kg of explosives from a stone quarry at Banko in Sundargarh district. Anmol, 45, also known as Anmol da, Samar, and Lalchand Hembram, is a state committee member (SCM) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist). He carries bounties of Rs 15 lakh in Jharkhand and Rs 20 lakh in Odisha. Originally from Itwabeda Jarwa village under Penk-Narayanpur police station in Jharkhand, Anmol was previously active in the Bihar-Jharkhand-Odisha regional committee. Until 2018-19, he coordinated Maoist operations in Sambalpur-Deogarh-Sundargarh division of Odisha and led several attacks on security forces along the Odisha-Jharkhand axis. His knowledge of Naxal operations in Odisha and tactical proficiency facilitated the bold theft at the stone quarry in Banko, under K Balang police limits in Rourkela on May 27. The location's proximity to Jharkhand's Saranda forest, with its thick vegetation and challenging terrain, offered suitable cover for Anmol and his associates. "We have identified those Maoists involved in the explosives loot. Efforts are on to arrest them," DGP Y B Khurania told TOI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 42-year-old woman changed drastically in a few months! This at Watsons too effective Body Design News Learn More Undo The DGP said nearly 75% of the stolen explosives have been recovered through joint operations conducted by Odisha and Jharkhand police, alongside the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). "Of the approximately 5 tonnes of gelatin sticks stolen, 3.8 tonnes have been retrieved. All credit goes to the personnel engaged in the massive joint search operation, which is still continuing. We aim to make complete recovery," Khurania said. The DGP acknowledged that the Sundargarh Naxal incident revealed areas for improvement. "We came across some learning points. We are reviewing standard operating procedures for explosive transport, storage in Naxal-affected areas, and compliance verification. Corrective and remedial measures would be implemented," Khurania said. He said police have begun inspecting firms involved in explosive trade in the state, particularly in Maoist-affected regions. Odisha police said they would not suggest to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) to reinstate Sundargarh under the Centre's security-related expenditure (SRE) scheme for Naxal-affected districts. Sundargarh was excluded from the SRE scheme after being removed from the left-wing extremism (LWE) affected areas list last year. The top cop reported a significant reduction in Naxal operations in Odisha, expressing confidence that law enforcement will successfully support the Centre's objective of establishing a 'Maoist-free India' by March 2026.
New Indian Express
03-06-2025
- New Indian Express
3 held for duping people by posing as Delhi Jal Board officials
NEW DELHI: Three Jharkhand-based men were arrested for allegedly duping people by impersonating themselves as representatives of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). They made victims install a fake mobile application and later siphoned off money after obtaining their banking credentials, police said on Monday. According to police, a person received a message on May 12 from someone claiming to be a DJB official, stating that his water service would be disconnected due to a pending meter reading update. He was asked to contact one Devesh Joshi. The complainant called the number and was told that his water connection would be disconnected unless the meter reading was updated. He was then asked to install a DJB app. Trusting the caller, he installed the app and entered his name, mobile number, and KNO number. He was asked to make a payment of Rs 12. When he entered his internet banking credentials, the payment failed, but Rs 38,161 was later debited in multiple transactions. 'Following investigation and raids in different area, three accused—Ravi Mandal, Ramesh Kumar Mandal and Mahendra Kumar Mandal (27)—were arrested,' DCP (southwest) Surendra Choudhary said.
