RANCHI: Two policemen were killed while another was seriously injured in a fierce gun battle with the CPI (Maoists) under Borio Police Station in Chatra district of Jharkhand on Wednesday.
The incident took place at Bairio forest between Sadar and Basisthnagar Jori police station areas in Chatra, around 200 km from Jharkhand's capital Ranchi. According to police, the team was on patrolling duty when the Maoists ambushed them and started firing indiscriminately. The police team also fired in retaliation, but two of them, identified as Sikandar Singh and Shukun, were hit by bullets fired by the Maoists.
The two policemen lost their lives during treatment in Chatra itself, while another jawan Akash, who sustained serious bullet injuries, was airlifted to Ranchi and admitted to a private hospital there.
Despite the state government’s claims of eradicating extremism in Jharkhand, incidents of encounters with Maoists and related violent incidents have kept occurring.
However, the Maoist threat has been addressed in almost all regions of the state. Besides Chatra, their activity is limited only to Kolhan region in West Singhbhum district.
The Union Home Ministry has also appreciated the work done by administrative and police officials of Jharkhand towards eradication of leftwing extremism through anti-Maoist operations conducted by the Jharkhand Police, CRPF, CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar. Currently, joint operations are being conducted regularly in the Kolhan jungles, considered to be the last stronghold of the Maoists.