Ahmedabad/Vapi: The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police today arrested a hardcore Maoist of Bihar, who was wanted in several cases including that of killing of 10 CRPF Jawan in a landmine blast in the eastern state, from Vapi in Valsad district of South Gujarat where he was working as a labourer in a factory by hiding his identity.

SP ATS Himanshu Shukla today said that the zonal commander of proscribed naxal outfit CPI-Maosit in Rajgir in Bihar, Rajesh Ravidas alias Gopalji Prasad alias Uttamji was nabbed on a tip off.

He is the right-hand of the Bihar-Jharkhand (Magadh) special area committee in charge of CPI-Maosit Praduman Sharma who is involved in more than 50 crimes including murders and extortions and who also carries a reward of Rs 50000 over his head from Bihar government.

Rajesh was involved in the incident of IED blasto of 2016 in Aurgangabad district of Bihar in which 10 CRPF jawans were killed.

He was in the hiding since the March 2017 encounter in Gaya district of Bihar in which four of his aides were killed by para military forces but he had somehow escaped despite a bullet injury in hand. Several arms including AK-47, INSAS and SLR were also recovered from the spot.

He had arrived in Daman earlier this year and worked as a security guard there with his fake name Gopalji Prasad. He later shifted to Vapi and was working as a labourer in a factory.

Shukla said that Rajesh had joined the Maoists group way back in 2002 at the age of 17 after getting a family land dispute resolved by them.

He is being interrogated and would later be handed over to Bihar police for further action.

DeshGujarat