A wanted Left Wing Extremist (LWE) rebel, Shyam Marandi, alias, Shyam Manjhi, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was arrested in Giridih district, police said on Sunday.

He was nabbed during a raid conducted at a village under the Khukra police station area on Saturday, a senior police official said.

He was wanted in several districts for years, the officer said, adding that he was the prime accused in at least nine cases of LWE violence.

Police sources said that the CRPF and Giridih police have been continuously conducting raids in Naxal-affected areas and has also had many successes in the campaign.

However, the police have not recovered any explosives or arms, said SP Giridih Amit Renu.

 According to reports provided by Giridih police here on Sunday, a hardcore Maoist Shyam Murmu alias Shyam Manjhi alias Shyam Marandi has been arrested at Pandariatand village within limits of Khukra-Harladih police station area.

Superintendent of police said that on the basis of secret information, the Madhuban CRPF Company of 154th battalion and SAT, conducted raids at Pandariatand village.

 On seeing the police during the raid, Manjhi started tried to escape, but the police chased and nabbed him.

Police sources said that in the year 2018 itself, Maoist Shyam along with Pirtand’s area commander Nunuchand Mahato had also killed Omprakash Mahato, son of Girja Shankar a local Mukhiya and his SUV was set on fire. 

In 2018, Shyam, along with his associates Kishun Kisku, Baijun Kisku and Durga Tudu, strangled Sadaqat Ansari, alias, Rameshwar Mian, to death on Bishanpur-Khetadabar main road near Peertand. 

While in 2017, Shyam Manjhi was involved in a police encounter in a forest near Chandra Prabhu temple of Parasnath hill. The police captain said that in 2019, Shyam, along with Ajay Mahto’s squad, planned to blow up security forces by placing a cane bomb under the culvert near Nayamore in Harladih, but police escaped.

Not only this, Shyam Manjhi, a resident of Meramgowda in Peartand, was planning to steal security forces vehicles after meeting with Peartand’s zonal commander and area commander Nunuchand Mahato.  According to the SP, Shyam Manjhi was among the active hardcore Maoists of Pirtard and Khukra areas.