12 years after Jharkhand SP's murder, suspected Maoist held

A Maoist wanted in the murder of a superintendent of police in Jharkhand in 2000 was arrested in the city, police said on Friday.

Pradeep Kumar Singh, 42, was arrested at Rohini sector 24 in outer Delhi on Thursday after a tip-off.

“We have recovered a 7.65 mm pistol with two live rounds from him,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjay Kumar Jain.

Police were tipped off that Pradeep will come to sector 24 in Rohini in the afternoon. “We laid a trap.

Around 2:40 pm, a man was found coming on foot from Rithala Metro station side towards Ganda Nala. He was asked him to stop, but seeing the police he tried to flee. He was overpowered and his identity established,” said Jain.

Police said he was a member of the banned People's War Group.

Pradeep joined the inter college in Daltonganj in 1988 and was active in student politics.
In 1990, he joined the People’s War Group at Latehar. He was also a part of  'Jharkhand Mazdoor Kisan Sangrami Parishad' and ‘Biri Patta Daam Andolan’, and took part in the movement for a separate state of Jharkhand.

In 1997, he came to Delhi to take part in a rally for the Jharkhand cause.

In October 2000, he was part of a PWG team headed by Guddu Oraon that ambushed a police patrol led by Ajay Kumar Singh, Lohardaga superintendent of police. After the operation, the group split up to evade police action. He fled to Punjab and worked there for almost five years,  avoiding any suspicion

When he thought it was safe, Pradeep returned to Jharkhand and revived his connection with the Maoists.

“Being a senior and a veteran Maoist, he took up the position of an ideologue and recruiter to preach Maoist ideology and motivate youngsters for the cause. He is a good orator and used his propaganda to spread PWG influence,” said Jain.

In February 2012, he was with other cadres in their dense jungle hideout at Saryu in Latehar when police raided the area. In this operation, some cadres were killed and injured but he to escape.

He then came to the national capital region and started staying with his uncle.

Pradeep is the eldest of four brothers, and has four sisters as well. He has three sons.

His eldest son Rakesh is local area commander of the PWG and wanted by police in several kidnapping for murder and kidnapping for ransom cases. The other two sons are studying in class 8 and 6. His wife Yashoda lives in his ancestral home in Nindi.