Maoist leader facing 102 cases including several for extortion, murder arrested

New Delhi/Ranchi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested in Delhi a Maoist leader who has been ‘on the run for almost two decades’.

Dinesh Gope leads a ‘proscribed’ Maoist outfit People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) alongside facing over 100 cases in three states.

The self-styled leader carries NIA’s reward of Rs 5 lakh in addition to Jharkhand government’s Rs 25 lakh for his arrest.

The anti-terror agency previously in 2018 charged Gope after recovering from the operatives of his outfit the demonetised currency worth ₹ 25 lakh.

A total of 102 case related to murders, abductions, threats, extortion and fund raising for PLFI have been charged against him in Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha.

On February 3 last year, Gope managed to escape during an encounter PLFI, led by him, had with security forces in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum.

Since then, he had been shifting locations in Jharkhand in order to ‘reestablish’ his outfit’s network in the state.

Gope is accused of extorting money from businessmen and contractors to procure sophisticated weapons including AK 47s and HK 33.

The NIA reportedly said that Gope invested the extorted funds in ‘dubious’ shell companies that were formed by PLFI associates in partnership with his family members.

‘The extorted money was also being transferred from Jharkhand to other places through a network of hawala operators,’ the agency was quoted as saying.

PLFI, previously known as Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT), is found to be behind several terror incidents including murders in Jharkhand.

The agency said that PLFI offered motor bikes, mobile phones and easy money to unemployed youths to lure them.

After training and equipping them, PLFI used to execute terror activities.