Jharkhand: Maoist killed in gunfight with security forces in Gumla

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Police in Jharkhand on Thursday said that a Maoist, who had a bounty of Rs 2 lakh, was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Gumla district.

Acting on a tip-off, the forces began an operation to nab Rajesh Oraon from near Marwa forest, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ehtesham Waquarib told PTI. "As the force reached there, Maoists started firing. In retaliatory firing, Oraon was killed on the spot," he said.

A rifle and several cartridges were recovered from the area, he said.

Meanwhile, four more Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) were found in the Tonto police station area of West Singhbhum district, police said. The IEDs, including one weighing around 50 kg, were found in the forest near Tumbahaka village. They were defused on the spot.

Since Monday, 27 IEDs have been recovered from the area. These explosives were planted by Maoists to target security forces, police said.

Earlier in January, a Maoist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Chatra district, police had said. The encounter between security forces and Maoist took place in a forest adjacent to Karimandar-Butkuiya village, some 250 km from the state capital Ranchi, police said. Chatra Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Ranjan said that CRPF and district police teams were on their anti-Maoist movement. "Meanwhile, a gunfight between the security forces and Maoist took place, in which a Maoist was killed. Several rounds of bullets were exchanged from both sides," he said.

In May, a 10-year-old boy was killed when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by CPI (Maoists) in Jharkhand's West Singbhum district exploded, a senior police officer had said. The boy, a resident of Banglasai tola of Rengrahatu, had gone to the Rolabrupi Jengagada forest to pluck kendu leaves when the IED planted by Maoists to target security personnel on anti-Maoist operation exploded on Thursday evening killing him, said Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar. Security personnel including district police and CRPF rushed to the spot and recovered the body with the help of villagers and sent it for post-mortem in Sadar Hospital, Chaibasa, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)