Two dreaded Maoist commanders have been neutralised in two back-to-back counter-insurgency operations launched in the Maoist-affected Gumla district of Jharkhand.
In the first incident, acting on a specific intel, the district police on June 1 had launched an operation in the Aanjan and Marwa forest area. It’s been learnt that when the police team was combing through the area, the Maoist opened indiscriminate fire upon them, to which the police retaliated heavily.
After the gunfight stopped, a male Maoist’s body, rifle, and cartridges were recovered. The deceased Maoist was later identified as Rajesh Oraon, zonal commander of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Rajesh Oraon, a resident of Tunjo village of Ghaghara, was wanted in connection with the murder of four policemen for which he was also hunted by the National Investigative Agency (NIA). It’s been reported that the central agency had also raised a poster at his home in July last year.
Rajesh Oraon was mainly active in the Latehar, Lohardaga and Gumla, where more than a dozen cases have been pending against him. It’s been reported that the State Government had also announced a bounty of Rs 2 lakh on him.
Maoist area commander killed in Chainpur
In another significant development on the Maoist front, a self-styled area commander of the outlawed CPI-Maoist was gunned down by the security forces in Semla Bartoli Bhagat Kona forest under Chainpur police station of Gumla district on June 02.
As per the reports, Lazim Ansari, a resident of Kotam village under Sadar PS, was neutralised in an exchange of fire on June 2 evening. The self-styled area commander was considered to be a seasoned Maoist with a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head.
The Jharkhand police have also recovered two country-made pistols along with a rifle from the encounter site. It’s been reported that Lazim was active in the banned Maoist outfit for a long and as many as 25 cases have been pending against him in the different police stations of Jharkhand.
It is to be noted that the counter-insurgency drive against the Ultras has been in full swing in the tribal-dominated State of Jharkhand lately, as several senior Maoist commanders have been either arrested or killed in action.
Earlier, in a simar operation launched by the security forces in April this year, as many as five senior cadres of the CPI Maoist had also been killed in an encounter near the Palamu-Chatra border of Jharkhand.
The incident occurred when a joint team of CoBRA, an elite anti-naxal unit of the CRPF, along with district police of Chatra and Palamu, were out on a combing operation in the bordering area where a gunfight broke out with the Maoist. After fierce gunfight bodies of five Maoist were recovered from the spot.
It’s been reported that at least two of the members who got killed in action were carrying a reward of 25 lakh each, while a reward of 5 lakh each was already announced for the other two.
One of the deceased was later identified as Gautam Paswan, who carried a reward of Rs 25 lakhs. It is to be noted that Gautam Paswan was a member of the Special Area Committee of the CPI Maoist and was considered to be one of the most feared Maoist commanders in the region.
In addition to the arrest and the Maoist commanders being neutralised in the action, the massive drive against the Ultras has also led to the surrender of a number of Maoist commanders, including the dreaded Aman Ganjhu and Naveen Yadav, who had a bounty of Rs 15 and 25 lakhs respectively each on their heads.
