Jharkhand: Maoist killed, another arrested in Latehar encounter

Police sources said the encounter began on Sunday night and continued till Monday morning. Read further on Dynamite News:

Ranchi: In a police crackdown against Naxalites, CPI (Maoist) 'commander' Manish Yadav, carrying a bounty of ₹5 lakh, was killed and another top Maoist, Kundan Kherwar, with a bounty of ₹10 lakh, was arrested in an encounter in Latehar district of Jharkhand.

Police sources said the encounter began on Sunday night and continued till Monday morning. After the operation, Manish Yadav's body was recovered during a search operation. A cache of arms was seized from the site.

On May 24, a team led by SP Kumar Gaurav had killed JJMP chief Pappu Lohra, carrying a bounty of ₹10 lakh, and another Maoist, Prabhat Ganjhu, with a bounty of ₹5 lakh, in Ichabar forest area of Latehar.

Bounty Maoist Surrendered

Yesterday on 25 May, 24 hardcore Maoists, carrying a total bounty of ₹87.5 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Friday. Among them, 20 Maoists had rewards ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh announced for their capture.

The surrenders are seen as a positive outcome of the government's effective Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy-2025 and the 'Niyad Nella Naar Yojana'.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai tweeted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the eradication of Left-Wing Extremism by March 2026 is certain. This surrender is a part of that decisive journey.

The Chief Minister added that Maoists are now realising that the path of violence leads to endless destruction. They are leaving the path of militancy and joining the mainstream. The state government is fully committed to the rehabilitation and reintegration of these surrendered Maoists.

Maoist Killed

Two suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Latehar district of Jharkhand on Saturday.

One of those killed was Pappu Lohra, the chief of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad, a splinter group of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The second person who was killed was Prabhat Ghanju, who was allegedly an associate of Lohra.

Lohra carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh, while Ghanju carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, The Hindu reported.

Another suspected Maoist suffered a bullet injury during the gunfight, the newspaper quoted Jharkhand Police spokesperson and Inspector General (Operation) Amol Homkar as saying. The injured Maoist was arrested and subsequently taken to a hospital.