Bokaro: Security forces arrested wanted Maoist member Ajay Mahto alias Tiger alias Basudev, who carried a Rs 25 lakh bounty on his head, during a raid in Harladih of Giridih district on Thursday night, IG of Bokaro range Shailendra Kumar Sinha said.A special team raided the residence of Karmu Manjhi in Harladih, where the accused was allegedly hiding. Mahto was arrested during the operation, while two other cadres present there were also taken into custody. All three are being interrogated by a special investigation team. Mahto is a close associate of wanted Maoist commander Misir Besra.Police said Mahto, a resident of Nawadih village under Pirtand police station in Giridih district, served as a special area committee member of CPI (Maoist) and was the zonal commander of Parasnath region. Police records show that he is wanted in several criminal cases, including murder, extortion, looting, attacks on police personnel, IED blasts and destruction of govt property.Police said Mahto allegedly masterminded several major Maoist attacks across the border areas of Giridih, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Hazaribag. He was accused of ambushing police teams, torching road construction machinery and extorting contractors. Besides Jharkhand police, law enforcement agencies in Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha were also searching for him.The Giridih administration earlier recommended prosecution of Mahto and 12 other Maoists under sedition charges and UAPA. The proposal has already received approval from the home department. Following the arrest, security arrangements have been intensified across the district.
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