Top Maoist commander Prayag Manjhi with INR one crore bounty among 8 killed in Jharkhand
At least eight Maoists, including senior commander Prayag Manjhi were killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Bokaro district
- BOKARO — At least eight Maoists, including senior commander Prayag Manjhi
-- who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head -- were killed in an ongoing
encounter with security forces in the Lugu hill area of Lalpania in Bokaro
district, officials said.
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- The gun battle began around 5.30 a.m. on Monday and was
still underway, with intermittent firing reported from both sides. Officials
said the number of casualties could rise further.
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- One of those killed was identified as Prayag Manjhi, a central
committee member of the CPI (Maoist). Known by multiple aliases -- Vivek Da,
Phuchna, Nago Manjhi, and Karan Da -- he was active in the Parasnath hills and
surrounding areas of Giridih over the past few months.
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- Manjhi, originally a resident of Dalbudha in Tundi
(Dhanbad district), was a key Maoist figure wanted in over 100 incidents across
Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. In Giridih district alone, he was
wanted in more than 50 cases.
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- An official statement from the CRPF released on Monday
morning initially confirmed the killing of four Maoists. The number has since
increased to eight.
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- The earlier statement said: "The Central Reserve
Police Force, in a joint operation with the state police, killed four Maoists
in an encounter in the Lugu hills of Bokaro district this morning. One SLR and
one INSAS rifle have been recovered. No injuries to security personnel have
been reported so far. Intermittent firing continues."
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- The joint team, comprising personnel from the CRPF’s 209
Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and Jharkhand Police, had
launched a search operation in the forested foothills of Lalpania police
station area when they came under fire from Maoists. The forces retaliated,
leading to the gunfight which is still going on.
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- So far this year, 13 Maoists have been killed in
encounters with security forces in Jharkhand. Police have set a target to make
the state completely Maoist-free by the end of 2025.
-
- According to Jharkhand Police data, 244 Maoists have been
arrested this year, while nine were killed in encounters prior to this
operation.
