Maoist-turned bank robber held

A hardcore Maoist-turned-bank
robber was arrested today from a bus stand in Paliganj police station area in Bihar's Patna district, the police said today.
"The Maoist cadre, Sudarshan Ravidas alias Masterji, was trying to catch a bus on way to flee to Nepal, when he was nabbed by the policemen," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said.
A right-hand man of ex-Maoist Pancham Mahto, a self-styled area commander of the banned outfit - MCC, Ravidas had turned himself into a kinpin of a inter-state bank robbers' gang and was wanted in connection with a heist in Sigauri branch of Allahabad Bank on May 21, he said.

"The police later recovered Rs 47,000 hidden in the granary at his house out of Rs 92,395 looted by Ravidas and his men after carrying out recce of the bank premises for days," Maharaj said, adding that his two associates Vimalesh Kumar alias Shashi Ranjan and Ranjit Kumar Singh were arrested days after the loot case, Maharaj said.
He said that the ultra had taken over Mahto bank robbery gang upon his death and expanded his network over several states and Nepal and carried out dozens bank heist, SSP said.
Ravidas was being interrogated about details of crimes and members of his gang, Maharaj said.