NIA arrests PLFI chief Dinesh Gope, brings him to Ranchi

RANCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested Dinesh Gope alias Kuldeep Yadav alias Badku, the self-styled chief of the banned left-wing extremist outfit, People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), the agency said in a statement.
Gope was arrested from New Delhi and brought to Ranchi amid tight security arrangements at around 5 pm, it said.
The NIA said Gope is wanted in over 102 criminal cases registered in Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha. A senior officer of Jharkhand police, however, said Gope is an accused in over 150 cases in Jharkhand alone. The cases are mainly registered in Khunti, Ranchi, Chaibasa and Simdega districts. They are related to murders, abductions, threats, extortions and raising funds for PLFI.
Gope was absconding for the past two decades. The Jharkhand government had announced a reward of Rs 25 lakhs and NIA Rs 5 lakhs on his head.
Notably, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against Gope in the case (RC-02/2018/NIA/DLI), relating to the recovery of demonetized currency totalling Rs 25.38 lakhs by police from his accomplices under the Bero police station area of Ranchi district on November 10, 2016. The NIA had re-registered the case on January 19, 2018.
NIA also attached 14 bank accounts and two cars, along with cash and immovable property worth more than Rs 1 crore in the case.
According to NIA, the PLFI lure unemployed youths by providing them with bikes, mobile phones and easy money. After recruiting them, the outfit imparted the misguided youths with training and equip them with lethal weapons to carry out terror-related crimes.
It added that the outfit has also formed alliances with different criminal gangs to spread their nefarious activities and execute murders and arson in Jharkhand.
On the main source of income, the central agency said PLFI depends on extortion to fund its crimes. For this purpose, the outfit has been targeting coal traders, railway contractors and various private entities involved in development projects in various districts of Jharkhand.
Gope got in touch with Maoists while on the run in murder case
People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) supremo Dinesh Gope (51) alias Badku had came into the world of crime when he was studying in school at his native village Lapa Mohratoli in Khunti district, said sources. He fled the village to escape police and subsequently became one of the most feared ultras in the state.
Police said that though information regarding Gope is scarce, it has been learnt that he was accused in a murder case. While on the move to avoid the police, Gope got in touch with the extremists. He began committing violence under the Karra and Rania police station areas of Khunti district.
Gope joined the Communist Party of India (Maoists) but later on separated from the organisation due to differences over ideology with its senior leaders and also because of the caste-based fight for dominance in the outfit. Gope, along with members of a particular caste, formed another organisation called the Jharkhand Liberation Tigers and became as influential as the Maoists. In 2007, he changed the name of his organisation to PLFI and became its supremo.
Gope had several close escapes during the encounters with police in the past years. In February 2022, he received a bullet injury on his shoulder during an encounter with the police under the Gudri police station area on the Khunti-Chaibasa border. The police said that after the incident, fear of getting killed dominated him and he left the state.
In the past few months, the Khunti police were trying to persuade Gope's parents for his surrender. The police said they came to know that Gope has kept his parents in Jagannathpur area of Ranchi and got in touch with them.
Confirming the development, Khunti SP Aman Kumar said, "The relatives assured us that they would talk to Gope on surrendering when the later contacts them."
Gope had amassed huge wealth out of levy and extortion from traders, contractors and businessman. Notably, the PLFI was operating several schools named Vidya Vihar Public School at Rania, Basakpur, Karra and Torpa in Khunti and in Kamdara in Gumla district. He was also operating a bus from Ranchi to Saunde.