Two Maoists killed in gunfight in Jharkhand
A Maoist and a police personnel were also injured in the encounter.
Representative Image (PTI)
LATEHAR: Two Maoists, including JJMP supremo Pappu Lohra were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday morning, police said.
A Maoist and a police personnel were also injured in the encounter.
Awadh Singh, the injured policeman, was airlifted to Ranchi for better medical care, officials added.
Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) chief Lohra, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, and Prabhat Ganjhu, the sub-zonal commander of the organisation who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, were killed during the operation, police said.
The joint operation was carried out by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police in Ichabar forest area under Latehar police station limits, a senior officer said.
"Two Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces. Police have recovered their bodies," Palamu DIG YS Ramesh told PTI.
Police confirmed that the bodies of Lohra and Ganjhu were recovered from the encounter site.
Ashish Kumar, another wanted member of the group who was injured during the operation, has been arrested. An INSAS rifle was recovered during the subsequent search, Ramesh said.
Acting on a tip-off about the presence of Lohra and his associates in the forest, a team of security personnel, led by Latehar SP Kumar Gaurav, launched a search operation, officials said.
"As soon as the Maoists spotted the security personnel, they opened fire. The team retaliated," a police officer involved in the operation said.
Lohra was wanted in 98 cases, including murder, extortion, and arson, across several districts such as Lohardaga, Gumla, Chatra, Palamu, and Latehar.
Ganjhu was wanted in 15 cases, according to Ramesh.
Both were allegedly involved in the killing of Deputy Commandant of Jharkhand Jaguar, Rajesh Kumar, during an operation in September 2021.
Calling the development a "major success" for law enforcement, Palamu IG Sunil Bhaskar urged remaining Maoists to surrender, taking advantage of the state government's surrender policy.
