In a major counter-insurgency operation, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police gunned down three senior Naxal leaders carrying a combined bounty of ₹1.35 crore in Hazaribagh district on Monday morning.
The slain Maoists were identified as Sahadev Soren alias Parvesh, Central Committee member with a reward of ₹1 crore; Raghunath Hembram, Special Area Committee member carrying a bounty of ₹25 lakh; and Virsen Ganjhu alias Ramkhelavan, Zonal Committee member with a bounty of ₹10 lakh.
The encounter took place in the Pantitri forest of Gorhar area following specific intelligence inputs. According to CRPF officials, the operation began around 4:20 am and led to a fierce exchange of fire. Three AK-47 rifles were recovered from the site.
Officials hailed the action as a “decisive strike” against Left-Wing Extremism, stressing that the elimination of such top leaders would severely impact the Maoist organizational structure and operational capabilities in Jharkhand.
Security forces have launched intensive combing operations in the area to track down other cadres. No casualties or injuries were reported among the forces.
This development comes days after another Maoist commander, Aaptan alias Amit Hansda, carrying a reward of ₹10 lakh and facing over 95 criminal cases, was killed in a September 7 gunfight in Chaibasa.