Gumla (Jharkhand), Jun 23 (PTI) A Maoist, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was arrested in Jharkhand's Gumla district, police said on Tuesday.

Identified as Firoz Ansari, he was a sub-zonal commander of Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a splinter group of CPI (Maoist), police added.

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Gumla SP Haris Bin Zaman said a rifle, around 350 live cartridges, three smartphones and a bag were recovered from his possession.

"We received specific intelligence that JJMP chief Ravindra Yadav was moving with his squad in the forests of Ghaghra village under Bihsunpur police station limits. Based on this, a team was formed and dispatched to the area," he said.

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Upon seeing the security forces, the JJMP members attempted to flee. "One person was caught while trying to escape. During interrogation, he identified himself as Firoz Ansari, sub-zonal commander of JJMP," the SP added.

Ansari was wanted in 11 criminal cases lodged across multiple districts, including Latehar, Lohardaga, and Gumla, police said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)