Jamtara is a town and a notified area situated in the Jamtara district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jamtara district and lies in the Santhal Pargana division of the state. The town has gained wider public recognition in recent years due to its association with cybercrime in India, a theme that has also been reflected in popular culture.
| Name | Jamtara |
|---|---|
| Type | Town and notified area |
| District | Jamtara |
| State | Jharkhand |
| Country | India |
| Division | Santhal Pargana |
| Administrative role | District headquarters |
Jamtara is located in the eastern part of Jharkhand, in the Santhal Pargana region. The district shares borders with Dumka to the north, Deoghar to the north-west, Dhanbad to the west, and the state of West Bengal to the east and south. The terrain in and around the town consists largely of undulating plateau land typical of the Chota Nagpur and Santhal Pargana areas.
The town functions as a notified area, with civic responsibilities handled by the local notified area committee. As the headquarters of Jamtara district, it hosts the offices of the Deputy Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police, the district court, and other district-level departments. The district itself was carved out of Dumka district on 26 April 2001 as part of the reorganisation of districts in the newly formed state of Jharkhand.
Jamtara is connected by the Howrah–Delhi main railway line of the Eastern Railway, and Jamtara railway station is one of the stops on this important corridor. The town is also linked by road to nearby cities such as Dhanbad, Deoghar, Asansol, and Dumka.
The population of Jamtara town is a mix of communities, with a notable presence of Santhal and other tribal groups in the surrounding district, alongside Bengali, Hindi and Urdu speaking populations. Hindi is the principal language of administration, while Santali, Bengali, Khortha and Urdu are also spoken in the region.
Jamtara has been widely referenced in Indian media in connection with phishing-based cybercrime networks operating from villages in the district. The Netflix series Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega, first released in 2020, drew its title and setting from the area and brought further national attention to the town.