A Left Wing Extremist (LWE) group, Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad’s (JJMP) area commander Manohar Parhaia orchestrated BJP leader Jaivardhan Singh’s murder in Barwadih block of Latehar in a bid to terrorise locals and establish dominance for collection of levy in the mineral-rich region, police said on Monday.
Bharatiya Janata Party' (BJP) district general secretary Jaivardhan Singh, who was said to be a contender for parliamentary elections, was shot dead at a busy market in Barwadih on July 5, triggering hue and cry over deteriorating law and order situation in state.
Parhaia had promised to pay Rs.3 lakh to one Anshu Prasad, a former JJMP rebel, for killing Singh, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the case learnt during the course of investigation. Parhaia had paid an advance of Rs.50,000 to Anshu for the assassination, Latehar Superintendent of Police Prashant Anand said.
Anshu, who happens to be in his early twenties, then roped in one Satyam Thakur and Rahul Gupta, both residents of Palamu, to perpetrate Singh's murder, the trio confessed to police during interrogation.
“Anshu roped in Satyam and Rahul for the murder. Rahul shot dead Jaivardhan Singh and Satyam fired in air while they fled the spot. All three of them have criminal records and are in their early twenties,” said Anand.
The trio had taken shelter at the residence of Manohar Parhaia’s brother-in-law, Suresh Parhaia after murdering Singh, police said. “We have arrested Suresh too. Manohar is still absconding, but we are tracing is location,” said Anand.
As per police records, JJMP is one of the 17 splinter outfits active in Jharkhand. At least 19 of 24 districts in Jharkhand are LWE-affected as per figures with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The members of these splinter outfits, police say, are nothing more than hired guns and thugs who have unleaded a reign on terror on innocent villagers in Jharkhand hinterland. They are involved in trafficking children, extorting levy and even killing for sport, police say.
Splinter outfits have been involved in murder of politicians in the past as well. In 2017, at least three BJP leaders were shot dead by splinter outfits in different districts.
An AJSU party MLA Ramesh Singh Munda was assassinated in Jharkhand by former dreaded Maoist Kundan Pahan. Kundan later surrendered as per the government policy.
