RANCHI: Three members of the banned Maoist splinter group Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), including two sub-zonal Commanders, were killed in an early morning encounter with security forces in Gumla district on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Lalu Lohara, Chhotu Oraon, and Sujit Oraon. Lalu Lohara and Chhotu Oraon were both sub-zonal commanders. Chhotu Lohara carried a reward of Rs five lakh on his head and was wanted in several criminal cases. Sujit Oraon was working as a cadre in his team.
Police have also recovered three weapons from the scene, including an AK-47 rifle. The encounter took place early in the morning on Wednesday under Bishunpur police station area in Gumla.
According to police sources, a joint team of Jharkhand Jaguar and Jharkhand police rushed to the spot after receiving a tip-off from reliable sources that a group of Maoists had been spotted near the borders of Lohardaga and Gumla.
During the search operation, the team came across JJMP squad led by Brajesh Yadav, prompting an exchange of fire from both sides. The exchange of fire took place in the dense forest of Rogritoli of Kechki under Bishunpur police station area for several hours, during which, three militants were gunned down. Later, two of them were identified as the Sub-zonal commanders of JJMP, while the other was a squad member.
Police officials consider it a significant step towards the central government's goal of eliminating Maoists from the country by March 2026.
Confirming the encounter, Gumla Superintendent of Police Harish Bin Zaman said this operation is a major achievement for the security forces and that Gumla police have killed more than half a dozen Maoists in various encounters this year.
Notably, as per police data, 28 Maoists have been killed in Latehar, Chaibasa, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Palamu, and Gumla districts from January to September 15 this year. These 28 Maoists also include 11 top leaders carrying a total bounty of Rs 3.15 crore.
Those who were killed in such police encounters include top Maoists like two Central Committee members, Prayag Manjhi and Sahdev Soren, having a bounty of Rs one crore on their heads.
Maoists, who got killed in police encounters, include the top Maoists like Regional Commanders (RC), Zonal Committee Member (ZCM), Sub-Zonal commanders an Area Commanders (AC), Police said.