Major Win Against Naxals in Jharkhand: Three Top Leaders Killed in Intense Encounter
In a big setback for Naxal groups in Jharkhand, security forces took down three high-profile Maoist leaders early Monday morning. The encounter happened in Hazaribagh district, where the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police teamed up for the operation. These leaders had a combined bounty of Rs 1.35 crore on their heads, making this a huge blow to Left Wing Extremism in the region.
The killed Naxals include Sahadev Soren, a key Central Committee member with a Rs 1 crore reward; Raghunath Hembram, from the Special Area Committee worth Rs 25 lakh; and Virsen Ganjhu, a Zonal Committee member with Rs 10 lakh on him. All three were top figures in the Maoist network, and their deaths will shake up the group’s structure and operations in Jharkhand.
The joint team from CRPF’s 209 CoBRA battalion and Jharkhand Police acted on solid intelligence tips. They launched the raid around 4:20 am in the dense Pantitri forest of the Gorhar area. What started as a search quickly turned into a fierce gun battle. The forces gunned down the three ultras and seized three AK-47 rifles from the spot. Luckily, no security personnel got hurt or killed in the clash.
CRPF officials called this a game-changer against Maoist activities in Jharkhand. "Eliminating these top leaders weakens their command chain and limits their ability to carry out attacks," one officer said. To wrap things up, teams are now combing the area for any remaining Naxal cadres and hunting down other suspects.
This isn’t the first strike this month. Just a week ago, on September 7, another major Maoist commander named Aaptan (also known as Amit Hansda) met his end in a gunfight in Chaibasa. He carried a Rs 10 lakh bounty and faced over 95 cases, including murders of police and civilians. Jharkhand’s Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan confirmed the details.
With these back-to-back successes, security forces aim to dismantle the Maoist hold in Jharkhand. Such operations show India’s ongoing fight against Naxalism, bringing hope for safer regions in the state.
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