On May 24, 2025, Pappu Lohra aka Somed Lohra, the ‘supremo’ of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), and the outfit’s ‘second-in-command’ Prabhat Ganjhu, were shot dead during a gunfight with Security Forces (SFs) in the Ichabar locality under Latehar Police Station limits in Latehar District. Acting on a tip-off that Lohra and his associates were in the forest, a team of security personnel led by Latehar Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Gaurav launched a search operation. Police said that a squad, led by Pappu Lohra, had gathered at Ichabar to attack local contractors and builders, when they were surrounded. As the Maoists spotted the security personnel, they fired at them, and the team retaliated. SP Gaurav, disclosed, “Pappu Lohra and Prabhat Ganjhu were killed in a retaliatory firing. Pappu carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh [INR 1 million] while Ganjhu carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh [INR 500,000]”. The Police have recovered their bodies. Ashish Kumar, another injured JJMP operative, was found in the bushes in Ichabar and was being treated in police custody. Awadh Singh, a policeman from the district Police, sustained injuries to his shoulder and is stable. An INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifle, 20 empty cartridges, two magazine pouches, a motorcycle, three backpacks, a shoulder bag and a tarpaulin sheet were recovered. It is said that the deaths of Lohra and Ganjhu mark a significant blow to the JJMP’s activities in the region, further weakening the influence of the outfit in Jharkhand. JJMP is a splinter group of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).
Lohra and Ganjhu were residents of Latehar. Pappu was wanted in 98 cases, including murder, extortion, and arson, across several districts such as Lohardaga, Gumla, Chatra, Palamu, and Latehar, while Prabhat was wanted in 15 cases. Both were allegedly involved in the killing of Jharkhand Jaguars Deputy Commandant Rajesh Kumar during an operation in Latehar in September 2021.
Sunil Bhaskar, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Palamu Range, noted, “He was a former Maoist and had good tactical skills. The way he was neutralised shows that ultras have very little time and space left for themselves. With Pappu’s (Lohra’s) death, the outfit virtually collapsed.”
On May 25, 2025, Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta declared,
Pappu Lohra, who has been killed today, had almost 100 cases against him, in which he also murdered a Deputy Commandant of CRPF… He has murdered many people and looted the land of many people in Latehar… A burden has been lifted from the earth. Our soldiers have done a very good job… Our district police team has carried out this entire operation on its own, and a top criminal whom we would not even call a Naxalite has been killed… Two Naxalites have been killed and one has been captured… Our injured soldier is now out of danger. He is very brave…
Earlier, SAIR had examined the formation of JJMP and the making of Pappu Lohra as the ‘supremo’ of the outfit. The JJMP came into existence in 2005 when Sanjay Yadav aka Manjit ji, a CPI-Maoist renegade ‘area commander’, started his own gang, declaring, “We have formed this outfit as we do not agree with the ideology of the Maoist organisations operating in the state.” Later, on March 27, 2018, influenced by the ‘Nayi Disha’ (new direction) surrender policy as well as pressure from family members, he surrendered in Lohardaga District. After his surrender, Lohra took over the reigns of the outfit in the same year. Interestingly, a photograph of Lohra went viral, depicting him with Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) personnel during an ongoing search operation against the CPI-Maoist in 2018. It was alleged that Lohra was helping the Police and SFs in operations against other Naxalite organisations. When questions were later raised on the SFs’ role in supporting the outfit, an unnamed senior Police officer in the state capital, Ranchi, on July 14, 2016, admitted, off the record, to a tacit policy of encouraging renegade or expelled Maoists to form separate armed groups in order to curb the influence of Maoists in the area. He thus stated,
Over the years, the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force have used these groups as they liked, using the enemy against the enemy you can say. But now, they have free rein only in some areas, depending on the decision of some district superintendents. The institutional support these groups enjoyed from the top is reducing, and will gradually be withdrawn.
Indeed, when the outfit subsequently became a nuisance for the SFs, the Government started taking action against JJMP. Interestingly, many in Jharkhand Police viewed Lohra’s elimination as his retribution for the killing of Rajesh Kumar, the Jharkhand Jaguars Deputy Commandant in Latehar in September 2021. Insiders close to the outfit, requesting anonymity, revealed that Lohra had created a larger-than-life image of himself. He thought of himself as “invincible” and trusted no one. It is said that he loved “jalebis” (Indian sweets), and when his men would arrange the sweets for him, Pappu was the last one to eat, as he suspected he could be poisoned. Sources indicate that Lohra was given the offer of surrender, but he chose to die fighting.
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), two JJMP cadres have been killed in the current year, thus far (data till June 1, 2025). During the corresponding period in 2024, no such fatality was recorded, nor any in the remaining period of 2024. Two JJMP cadres were killed in 2023. A total of 17 JJMP cadres have been killed since the formation of the group in 2005. Of these, seven were killed by SFs and eight in factional clashes, while two were lynched by civilians.
JJMP cadres have killed eight civilians and a lone SF trooper since 2005. The last civilian killing was reported on March 28, 2022, when suspected JJMP cadres killed the wife and three-year-old daughter of former JJMP ‘commander’ Amarjit Lakra aka Ashok, near Kanchan More in Janawal village under Chainpur Police Station limits in Gumla District. From two civilian fatalities in 2010, deaths in this category have recorded a low cyclical trend. One fatality was recorded in 2016, two in 2017, one in 2021, and two in 2022. No civilian fatalities were recorded in 2023 and 2024. Significantly, fatalities have remained in single digits every year, since the formation of the outfit.
The lone SF fatality connected to JJMP activities was reported on September 28, 2021, when Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Commandant of the Jharkhand Jaguars was killed in an exchange of fire between SFs and JJMP cadres during a combing operation in the Saliya Forest area of Latehar District. One JJMP cadre was also killed in the encounter.
At least two JJMP cadres have been arrested in Jharkhand since the beginning of 2025 (all data till June 1). During the corresponding period of 2024, six JJMP cadres were arrested. A total of eight JJMP cadres were arrested through 2024. Since the formation of JJMP in 2005, at least 100 cadres of the group have been arrested.
Mounting SF pressure against the group led to the surrender of at least eight JJMP cadres since 2005. This includes three surrenders in the current year.
One incident of arms and ammunitions recovery from the group has been reported in the current year, in addition to two such incidents reported through 2024. A total of 33 such incidents have been reported since 2005.
The total number of JJMP-linked incidents reached a peak of nine in 2022, and a low of one in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020. Similarly, the number of killing incidents fell from a peak of six in 2021 to one in 2010, 2014, and 2023.
Scrutiny of the SATP data, indicates that JJMP failed to create significant impact in the State, even as it suffered severe losses at the hands of SFs, as well as in the turf war with other LWE groups. Moreover, on May 25, 2025, according to the Jharkhand Police, offensives were stepped up against JJMP as well as several breakaway rebel outfits operating in the state. IGP, operations, Amol Homkar thus said,
Apart from Maoists, Jharkhand Police are conducting intensive operations against splinter groups which include Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI), Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) and JJMP.
The elimination of Pappu Lohra marks the stepped-up offensive by the Jharkhand Police to free Jharkhand from the LWE menace. PLFI ‘supremo’ Dinesh Gope aka Kuldeep Yadav aka Badku (51) was arrested earlier in New Delhi on May 21, 2023. TSPC ‘chief’ Brajesh Singh Ganjhu aka Gopal Singh Bhokta aka Sarkar, who is on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jharkhand Police, has been absconding for a long time, while the group’s de facto top gun Akraman Ganjhu aka Akraman Ji aka Ravindra Ganjhu, was arrested while returning from Kumbh, Prayagraj, with his wife and brother, on February 24, 2025. After Akraman Ganjhu’s arrest, Shashikant Ganjhu is leading TPC, and 15 militants remain active under his leadership, according to Police sources.
According to a May 26, 2025, report, it is understood that after the killing of Pappu Lohara and ‘second-in-command’ Prabhat Ganjhu, the group has virtually collapsed. However, there is some speculation that Lovelesh Ganjhu aka Loveleshwar ji, may take over the reins of the outfit as JJMP ‘chief’. Lovelesh Ganjhu was said to be very close to Pappu Lohara, and used to handle his entire business. A reward of INR 500,000 has been announced on Lovelesh Ganjhu, who is a resident of Balumath in Latehar District.
JJMP has been incapacitated with the killing of Pappu Lohara and Prabhat Ganjhu, but remains a concern. Despite its near-obliteration, as long as the remaining leadership elements continue to evade the SF dragnet, a residual nuisance will persist in the state.
