Seraikela (Jharkhand), Sep 11 (IANS) : The security forces in Jharkhand have recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including 317 live cartridges and an improvised explosive device (IED), during an anti-Naxal operation in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, police said on Friday.
The recovery was made during a joint search operation conducted by the district police and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in forested areas under the Kuchai and Chandil police station limits.
The operation was launched based on information obtained during the interrogation of two recently arrested Maoists, police officials said.
The arrested Maoists have been identified as Raghu Singh Sardar alias Sagar Singh Sardar, Biren Singh and Meena Pahadia alias Nepu Pahadia.
According to police, Raghu Singh Sardar was an active member of the CPI (Maoist)’s Regional Committee as well as the West Bengal-Jharkhand-Odisha Border Committee.
Meena Pahadia, around 26 years old, was active as a sub-zonal commander of the banned outfit and is wanted in several cases registered at Balarampur police station in West Bengal.
Following a court-sanctioned remand, the two accused were interrogated, leading security agencies to their alleged hideouts in the Sikramba forests of Kuchai and the Dalma forests above Asanbani village in Chandil.
Intensive searches carried out at these locations resulted in the recovery of a substantial arms cache.
Police said the seized weapons include two .303 rifles, one country-made pistol, one INSAS 5.56 mm rifle and one SLR 7.62 mm rifle. Security forces also recovered three SLR magazines, four INSAS magazines, three .303 rifle magazines and two magazines for a 9 mm pistol.
The ammunition recovered comprised 171 rounds of 7.62 mm cartridges, 126 rounds of 5.56 mm cartridges, 12 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and eight .303 cartridges, taking the total number of cartridges seized to 317.
During the operation, personnel also found an IED and a detonator concealed in the forest. A bomb disposal squad was immediately rushed to the spot, and the explosive device was safely defused.
The operation involved personnel of the Seraikela-Kharsawan district police and the 26th Battalion of the SSB, Ranchi. Police teams from Kuchai, Chandil, Nimdih and Seraikela police stations also participated in the search operation.
