Police use light aircraft to drop pamphlets with names of rebels

IN A first, the Jharkhand police on Friday used a light aircraft to distribute pamphlets with names and bounty on top functionaries of the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the CPI( Maoist). The exercise was carried out mainly in and around the Simdega district.

Officials said the initiative was aimed at increasing awareness among people in these areas about Left-wing Extremists in a short span of time. Such initiatives would be taken from timeto-time in the future, they added.

Additional Director General (Operations) and Jharkhand Police spokesperson R K Mallick said: “A couple of times in the past, choppers were used for this purpose. But that was a few years ago. This was the first time a light aircraft was used.” The aircraft belonged to the state government, said officials.

On Friday, nearly 20,000 pamphlets were air-dropped in Simdega and some areas of Chaibasa and Gumla. The pamphlets carried names of PLFI’S top commanders, including its supremo Dinesh Gop, who carries a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head. Names of 10 other rebels, who have a bounty ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh against them, were on the list.

The pamphlets said the identity of the informant, whose tipoff leads to arrest of the extremists, would be kept secret. “It was felt that there was a need to spread public awareness about the extremists. Through airdropping of pamphlets, we can cover a large area in a short time. The exercise was carried out on the basis of a report from the district SP,” said Mallick.

On why a light aircraft was chosen over a helicopter, he said: “Light aircraft are a better option when large areas need to be covered. Choppers also have logistical issues. Since the state government has the required aircraft, we approached them and they let us use it.”

Police with the pamphlets