RANCHI - Kundan Pahan, a self styled zonal commander of the outlawed Communist Party of India- Maoist (CPI-Maoist), accused of master-minding the killing of Jharkhand police inspector Induwar Francis, has become a synonym for terror in the bordering jungles of three districts of the state, say the police.

State intelligence officials say that Pahan, just like Veerappan, the sandalwood smuggler and forest brigand who challenged three state governments for over two decades before being gunned down in 2004, is gradually developing a notoriety for his violent actions and has till date managed to elude the police.

In July last year, Pahan was accused of killing former minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) legislator Ramesh Singh Munda.

The police claimed he is also involved in looting Rs.50 million and gold ingots from the delivery van of a private bank in June last year.

The police have placed a cash reward of Rs.500,000 for his capture. Pahan reportedly commands ruthless ‘red squads’ that are unparalleled in the jungles of Jharkhand.

Police sources said three red squads under his control are equipped with sophisticated weapons and most of them are trained in guerrilla warfare.

It was Kundan Pahan’s group which abducted Francis and killed him. They (rebels) are fixing targets and working towards a strategy, R.K. Mallik, deputy inspector general of police of Ranchi range, told IANS.

Francis’ mutilated body was found Monday on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway, six days after he was abducted by Maoist guerrillas.

As Pahan’s group enjoys many local advantages like vast and inaccessible terrain, which is difficult to penetrate, let alone sanitise, the state police force finds it difficult to mount a ciomprehensive offensive against him.

Sources told IANS that Kundan was active in the jungle areas of Ranchi, Khuti and Jamshedpur, and the entire area was not more than 50 sq km.

But because of the difficult geographical terrain, rebels rule the roost. Even in the case of Francis, police had specific information that he was kept in secluded Bundu but police could not reach there, said a senior police official involved in anti-Maoist operations.

There was nobody to take us to the right place to rescue Francis despite specific information. Without support of locals who know the area, we simply cannot venture into such difficult terrain. And if we don’t take precautions, we are killed.

Even villagers have not dared to pass information about Pahan’s whereabouts, fearing reprisals.

In the last couple of years, Pahan has reportedly unleashed a a reign of terror and several bloody incidents have been blamed on him. Among these were the killing of five security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police in June last year, and the death of four people, including two students, Aug 28 this year.

All these incidents took place in the Bundu and Tamar blocks along the Ranchi-Jamshedpur national highway.

Our operation is on against Kundan. We have succeeded in arresting his close associates. He seems to be desperate and is, therefore, trying to keep his terror unit intact by carrying out such acts, said Mallik.