Five PLFI militants arrested

Five PLFI militants and two arms suppliers were arrested from the Sarla Marla forest of West Singhbhum district, the police said.

Based on a tip-off, security personnel cordoned off the area under Bandgaon police station limit and forced the ultras belonging to the Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) to surrender yesterday, they said.

One carbine, one double barrel gun and one pistol besides a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from them.

During interrogation a PLFI leader Birsa Purty alias Chattan Singh said that they had come to the forest to collect fire-arms from suppliers and also named them. The ultras had already paid Rs one lakh to the suppliers for the deal, they said.

Accordingly, the police conducted raid and arrested two arms suppliers from Chakradharpur and recovered Rs 90,000 which was the part of the advance payment made by the PLFI ultras.

Purty also confessed that they were involved in the killing of a villager in the area recently for allegedly being a police informer.

(PTI)