Saturday, March 29, 2025
In a significant breakthrough, Jharkhand Police eliminated JJMP (Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad) supremo Pappu Lohara during a fierce gunbattle in Latehar district on Saturday morning. Lohara, who had a bounty of ₹15 lakh on his head, was gunned down along with one associate in the forest region of Ichabar Saleiya.
According to official sources, a joint police team launched a combing operation after receiving intelligence inputs that Pappu Lohara and his armed cadre were hiding in the dense Ichabar Saleiya forest area. Around dawn, the forces came under fire, leading to a prolonged encounter. Two militants were neutralized by the end of the operation, with one later identified as Pappu Lohara himself.
Lohara was formerly associated with Naxalite groups and operated in the Budha Pahad region before establishing his own outfit — the JJMP. Since forming the breakaway militant group, he had been involved in several crimes including extortion, illegal levies, and attacks on security forces. His activities drew strong attention from law enforcement, eventually placing a ₹15 lakh reward on his capture or elimination.
Following the encounter, police officials expressed satisfaction over the outcome, considering it a major blow to left-wing extremism in the area. Recovery of weapons and key intelligence documents from the site is expected to aid further crackdowns on remaining JJMP operatives.
This operation adds to a string of recent successful offensives against Naxal outfits in eastern India. In neighbouring Chhattisgarh, security forces have intensified counterinsurgency operations, eliminating over two dozen Naxals in recent months. In one of the largest such actions this year, 27 Naxals were killed in April alone, with thousands surrendering under pressure from joint force operations.
