RANCHI: Amid lockdown due to outbreak of coronavirus, Jharkhand police has gunned down three CPI (Maoists) during a police encounter early in the morning on Saturday near Chirung-Gada village under Gudri Police Station in Chaibasa.
Police said that security forces have also recovered huge cache of explosives and arms, along with three dead bodies of Maoists killed in the encounter from the spot.
The encounter took place during a joint search operation being conducted by police and 94-Battalion of CRPF following a tip-off that some Maoists had been spotted and were planning for some Maoist activity in the region near the village which is surrounded by dense forests.
"As soon as the security forces reached near the spot, Maoists started firing on them. The security forces also fired in retaliation and gunned down three Maoists on the spot," said Chaibasa SP Indrajeet Mahtha.
He added that when the Maoists could not withstand firing from the side of security forces, they receded in the dense forests. "Though, only three dead bodies were recovered during the encounter, possibility of other Maoists being killed in the encounter cannot be ruled out," said Mahtha.
He further said that huge cache of arms and explosives have been recovered from the spot, while combing operation is still being conducted in the jungles near Chirung-Gada village to trace out the Maoists.
In a separate Maoist incident at Joda-Pokhar village under Sonua Police Station in Chaibasa, house of a teacher was blown up triggering explosives destroying the house completely. The Maoists also started indiscriminate firing during which two people have critically been injured.