Top Maoist leader with Rs 1 crore bounty among three killed in Jharkhand encounter

In a major blow to the Maoist insurgency, three Maoists, including top leader Sahadev Soren alias Pravesh, who carried a bounty of Rs one crore, were killed during a joint operation by police and security forces in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district on Monday. The encounter took place around 6 a.m. in the Panitiri jungle under Girhor police station limits, close to the Bokaro-Giridih border. Security forces recovered the bodies of Soren and two other Maoists following the exchange of fire. According to officials, a joint team of CoBRA commandos and police from Giridih and Hazaribagh confronted the CPI (Maoist) group led by Soren. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that troops of 209 CoBRA and local police launched an operation during which "an exchange of fire broke out between troops and Maoists. The troops neutralised three Maoists and recovered three AK-47 rifles."

The CRPF confirmed the identities of those killed in the operation. Sahadev Soren was a Central Committee Member with a bounty of Rs one crore on his head. Raghunath Hembram was a Special Area Committee Member, carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, while Virsen Ganjhu was a Zonal Committee Member with a bounty of Rs 10 lakh. All three individuals were neutralised. Officials said no casualties were reported among the security personnel during the operation.

A search of the area is still in progress to track down any remaining Maoist operatives. This encounter marks the second major success for Jharkhand Police in as many days as part of its intensified campaign against Maoists. On Sunday, security forces in Palamu district killed a Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh in an encounter and recovered an INSAS rifle from the site. The slain Maoist, identified as Mukhdev alias Mukesh Yadav, was a member of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a splinter group of the CPI (Maoist). Police said he was linked with the TSPC's Shashikant gang and had been active across Palamu and adjoining districts for several years, being involved in multiple Maoist and criminal incidents.