Bokaro: A Maoist, carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, and a CRPF jawan were killed in a gunfight in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Wednesday morning, police said. A civilian was also killed after being caught in the crossfire. Police had earlier identified him as another Maoist.The gunfight broke out between the security forces and the Maoists in the Birhordera forest in the Gomia police station area around 5.30 am, they said. DGP Anurag Gupta said that acting on specific inputs, CRPF and the district police conducted a raid in the forest. “An exchange of fire took place between Maoists and security forces, in which a dreaded Maoist, identified as Kunwar Manjhi, was killed. He was carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head,” he said.Gupta said the deceased CRPF jawan was identified as Parneswar Koch, a resident of Kokrajhar in Assam. He said an AK-47 rifle was recovered from the spot, and the search operation is still going on. “The mortal remains of the CRPF jawan are being brought to Ranchi, where a wreath-laying ceremony will be held. Thereafter, his body will be sent to his home,” he added.Gupta said 95 per cent of Jharkhand’s Naxal problems have been eliminated. “Since January, over 20 top Naxals have either been killed or arrested or have surrendered,” he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condoled the death of the CRPF jawan. He said the people of Assam salute his sacrifice.”We will always be there to support them (his family) and this sacrifice will not go in vain as our forces unleash their power to eliminate naxalism from the face of the earth,” he said.
Source link
