Maoist commander arrested, another killed after gunfight in Jharkhand
A top Maoist commander, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was arrested and another Maoist was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces at Douna village in the Netarhat area of Jharkhand's Latehar district, a senior police officer said Monday.
Latehar police said they had been receiving consistent intelligence inputs about the movement of Kundan Singh Khairwar, a zonal commander of the banned CPI (Maoist), in the Mahuadanr and Netarhat areas. Acting on a tip-off on June 25, a police raiding team was formed under the leadership of Mahuadanr Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shivpujan Baheliya and officers-in-charge of Barhesandh and Mahuadanr police stations.
Around 1.30 am, the joint team comprising district police, the Indian Reserve Battalion, and local intelligence units zeroed in on Chorha Tola in Douna village. 'While conducting reconnaissance in the area, the police spotted suspicious movement, which was confirmed to be a Maoist gathering,' the officer said.
An officer said that as the team moved in, the Maoists opened fire on the security forces, to which the latter retaliated. 'In the ensuing encounter, the Maoists, unable to withstand the pressure, began fleeing. One of them, later identified as Kundan Singh Khairwar alias Sudhir Singh, was captured with arms,' he said.
Kundan, a resident of Matlaung under Manika police station in Latehar, has been associated with the Maoists for the past 10-12 years. He was known for orchestrating major attacks, extortion, and disruptions in development work across Latehar and neighbouring districts.
After reinforcements from the SSB 32 Battalion, CRPF 11 Battalion, and Jharkhand Jaguar arrived, a cordon-and-search operation was launched. During the sweep, the body of a Maoist was recovered, police said.
'He was identified as Manish Yadav, alias Manish Ji, a sub-zonal commander from Gaya, Bihar,' said the officer.
A cache of arms, ammunition, and daily utility items used by the Maoist squad were also seized from the area.
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