Security forces in an encounter in Jharkhand have killed an area commander of the People Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of the CPI Maoist, on January 23. The said encounter took place under Thakurgaon police station limits of Ranchi district, around 40 kilometres away from the district headquarters.
It’s been reported that SSP Kishore Kaushal had some intel about the presence of PLFI’s area commander in the Thakurgaon region, after which a joint operation had been launched.
It’s been learnt that the PLFI members opened fire on the security forces when the latter were combing in the area, to which the forces retaliated heavily. The exchange of fire took place around 11.30 in the morning, in which the area commander, identified as Vishal Sahu alias Vishal Sharma was killed.
Affirming the incident, SP rural Naushad Alam said that Vishal was active in Thakurgaon, Budmu and other nearby areas, and several cases had already been lodged against him. He had come to Thakurgaon to collect levy from a local businessman, added Naushad Alam.
Youth injured by IED planted by Maoists
In another incident from the neighbouring Paschim Singhbhum district of the state, a local tribal youth was injured by an IED blast in Kurkutiya village of Goilkera block on January 24.
The injured youth is identified as Mata aangariya, a resident of Katampa village of Goilkera. It’s been reported that Mata, along with his uncle, was going to Goilkera when the explosion occurred, injuring him badly.
He was taken to the primary healthcare centre, from where he was referred to Chaibasa. He is reportedly out of danger.
Female Maoist cadre arrested in Odisha
In another significant development on the Maoist front, the Odisha police arrested a hardcore women cadre of the proscribed CPI-Maoist in the wee hours of January 24.
As per the reports, a joint team of security forces comprised of personnel from the Special Operation Group (SOG), District Volunteer Force (DVF) and CRPF were out on a combing operation in the wee hours of January 24 when the accused, along with her companion was nabbed from the Hatigaon reserve forest area under Raigarh block of Nabarangpur.
Briefing the media about the arrest DIG South Western range, Rajesh Pandit said that the “arrested woman Maoist has been identified as Unga Mandvi alias Anita.”
Unga, a resident of the Sukma district of Chattisgarh, has been active in the organization for ten years and is a member of the Naupada-Mainpur division of the outlawed group. She was promoted to the ACM rank in 2020, added Pandit.
It’s been learnt that several cases have been pending against Anita under different police stations of Naupada and Kalahandi.
Anita’s associate has been identified as Samudra Bag. He is a resident of Naupada, Odisha and has been active in the organization for more than four years. He had been assigned to supply medicine and other daily use materials to the outlawed outfit.
Samudra has been working as a militia member of the outfit. Both of them will be produced before the court, concluded S. Sushree SP Nabarangpur.
