Top Maoist commander dies of ‘heart attack’

RANCHI: Deo Kumar Singh alias Arvindji, the top Maoist commander in Jharkhand, died of an apparent heart attack on Tuesday, said police.

Arvindji, who was said to be in his mid-50s, was a member of the central committee of CPI (Maoist). Police had declared a reward of ₹1 crore for catching him dead or alive. Arvindji hailed from Jehanabad in Bihar and his immediate family members are said to be still living in the district, police sources said. “We had information that he has been suffering from a heart ailment for long. The latest information is that he is dead. We are verifying the facts,” said Ashish Batra, inspector general, and spokesperson of the Jharkhand Police.

Arvindji’s death comes amid a major offensive by security forces against insurgents in state. Besides neutralising several guerillas, forces have also demolished hideouts and arrested several rebels besides seizing arms and ammunition.