Security forces in an anti-Naxalite operation. (File photo for representation.)
Ranchi/New Delhi: In a major encounter with Naxalites in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Monday, security forces gunned down eight left-wing extremists, including a high-ranking central committee member with a ₹1 crore bounty on him. The gunbattle began around 5.30am in the Lugu Hills area when troops from the Central Reserve Police Force’s 209 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and local police conducted a joint operation.
The CRPF’s CoBRA wing is a dedicated anti-Maoist force. It has been specially trained to fight left-wing extremists in hostile jungle terrains in the Maoist-infested so-called Red Corridor, and is deployed in several states in central India.
In the mopping operation following the encounter, the security forces recovered multiple weapons, including a Kalashnikov rifle, three Insas rifles, a self-loading rifle, eight countrymade guns and a pistol.
Among those killed were central committee member Prayag Manjhi (alias Vivek), who carried a ₹1 crore bounty; special area committee member Arvind Yadav (alias Avinash), who had a ₹25 lakh reward; and zonal committee member Sahebram Manjhi (alias Rahul Manjhi), with a ₹10 lakh bounty. The other Naxalites killed were identified as Mahesh Manjhi, Talu, Ranju Manjhi, Gangaram, and another individual named Mahesh.
None from the security personnel were injured during the operation.
On this development, the Jharkhand director general of police, Anurag Gupta, said, “With this encounter, Maoist squads in North Chotanagpur region (division) have been wiped out.” He added that the Maoists have nearly been eliminated across the state, with only those in the Chaibasa region remaining.
Security forces are being redeployed to the Saranda area with the goal of eliminating all Maoist squads in the region within 15 to 20 days, certainly before the rainy season. The DGP encouraged remaining Maoists in Chaibasa to surrender, noting that the government has an effective surrender policy.
This operation aligns with the Union government’s objective to eliminate Naxalism in India by March 2026. This year alone, more than 140 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh – an area security officials describe as the “last bastion” for left-wing extremism in the country.
