Jharkhand: Two Maoists, Including Rs.10 Lakh Bounty Holder, Killed in Latehar Encounter

Latehar – Two Maoists, including a top militant carrying a ?10 lakh reward on his head, were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Ichwar forest area of Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday morning, officials confirmed.

One of the deceased has been identified as Pappu Lohara, a wanted Maoist with multiple criminal cases lodged against him in various police stations across the state. The second has been identified as Prabhat Lohara. Both were members of the banned outfit Jharkhand Sangharsh Mukti Morcha (JSMM).

Acting on specific intelligence inputs about Maoist movement in the region, a joint team of police and paramilitary forces, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Gaurav, launched a search operation early Saturday morning.

At around 8 a.m., the team encountered a group of armed Maoists in the dense Ichwar forest, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.

Two Maoists were killed in the firefight, while several others managed to escape into the thick forest cover. Security forces have cordoned off the area, and a search operation is ongoing to trace the remaining insurgents.

From the encounter site, security personnel recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle and other Maoist paraphernalia. Authorities believe the Maoist group was planning a major attack in the area.

Pappu Lohara was known to be involved in several violent activities. Notably, on September 28, 2021, his squad was involved in a deadly encounter with security forces in the Salaiya forest of Latehar, which led to the martyrdom of BSF Deputy Commandant Rajesh Kumar. One Maoist was also killed in that incident.

This latest operation comes just weeks after a significant breakthrough on April 21, when eight Maoists — including top commander Prayag Manjhi, who carried a ?1 crore bounty — were neutralized in an encounter in the Lugu Hill area of Bokaro district.

Jharkhand Police, in coordination with central security forces, continue to intensify anti-Naxal operations across the state.

With inputs from IANS