SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Oct 23: Giridih police in a joint operation with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) claimed to have arrested a hardcore Naxal, identified as Tahir Mia, who was involved in several incidents in the two states, on Friday evening from Jamui district in Bihar.
Though the senior police officials of Giridih are tight-lipped about the arrest, Bhelwaghati police station officer-in-charge, Prasat Kumar, who led the search operation along with CRPF, confirmed the news to the media.
Officials said there are over a dozen cases lodged against Tahir Mia in Bhelwaghati police station of Giridih and police had been searching for him for a long time. Bhelwaghati is considered as a den of Naxals. On October 27, 2007, Naxals killed Anup Marandi, son of former chief minister of Jharkhand, Babulal Marandi.
In wake of the Panchayat elections in the neighbouring state Bihar, Giridih police along with CRPF have been launching special search operations on bordering areas. On Friday, police got a tip-off that Tahir Mia had arrived at his house at Garurbad in Chakai district of Bihar. The joint team then rushed to the village and cordoned off his house. Police arrested him without any resistance. However, recovery from Tahir Mia’s possession is yet to be made public.
A police official said he was brought to Giridih in the evening and is being interrogated at an unidentified location. “It is a big catch for police as well as CRPF and would help in wiping out Naxals from the region,” a police official said.
Recently, Tahir Mia had beaten up a few workers involved in bridge construction work in the area under Bhelwaghati police station.
