Maoist with Rs.5 Lakh Bounty Killed in Jharkhand Encounter, INSAS Rifle Recovered

Palamu- A Maoist carrying a reward of ?5 lakh on his head was gunned down during an encounter with security forces in Jharkhand’s Palamu district on Sunday. An INSAS rifle and other items were recovered from the site, police confirmed.

The deceased has been identified as Mukhdev alias Mukesh Yadav, a member of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), linked to the Shashikant gang. Active for years in Palamu and adjoining districts, he was involved in several Maoist and criminal activities.

The gunfight began around 7 a.m. near the Tarhasi–Manatu police station border, where security personnel successfully neutralised Mukhdev. A search operation is underway to locate other TSPC members.

Officials said that Mukhdev was part of the squad involved in the September 4 encounter in Palamu, where two policemen were killed and one injured. The Kedal–Manatu region continues to be a stronghold of the TSPC under commander Shashikant Ganjhu.

Just a week earlier, on September 7, security forces killed another Maoist with a bounty of ?10 lakh in Chaibasa’s Saranda forest.

With inputs from IANS