PLFI presence puts police on alert in Latehar

Reports of PLFI presence in Latehar has alarmed the police. Some RJD members had to come to me on behalf of a certain Ganesh Yadav complaining of harassment by PLFI cadres. We picked up known PLFI operatives and this angered their leaders. They beat up Yadav and burnt his house and vehicles, said Latehar SP Kranti Kumar Garhdeshi.

A bandh was called on February 23-24 in Latehar and Palamu districts. On the night of February 23,the PLFI attacked and set fire to a hotel near NH-75,attacked its owner and burnt down vehicles, said Garhdeshi. The PLFI,like the TPC,is a breakaway faction of the CPIMaoist.

The police are calling this attack as well as that on February 20 in Latehar as one-off incidents,but are wary of the re-emergence of the PLFI in the district. This makes PLFI the third Left-wing extremist organisation to make its presence felt in Latehar,after the January 7 CPI Maoist ambush of CRPF personnel and the Tritiya Pratuti Committees February 5 firing on the SPs convoy. Eleven security personnel were killed as a result of the January 7 incident. There were no casualties on February 5.

Garhdeshi said PLFI cadres out on bail have been trying to reclaim territory. We had arrested a number of them about 18 months ago,but about 10-12 are now out on bail and trying to re-establish control, he said.