Anti-naxal ops to continue in Jharkhand: Police

Sanjay Sahay | TNN | Updated: Apr 8, 2020, 11:51 IST

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RANCHI: Even as the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Odisha and Telangana have announced a unilateral ceasefire in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak, security forces in Jharkhand on Tuesday said they will continue with intelligence based anti-naxal operations. The decision comes after a few Maoist-related incidents, including an encounter in West Singhbhum, were reported last week.
Last week, three women Maoists were gunned down in Gurdri in West Singhbhum during an encounter between rebels and security forces. In Giridih, forces found a massive cache of arms and ammunitions. There was also an exchange of fire between the police and the Maoists under Garu police station area in Latehar district a few days ago.
CRPF IG Raj Kumar said, “The administrative deployment to implement the lockdown is mainly in urban and semi-urban areas. It is not hindering movement of the extremists in the forests. The recent incidents demonstrate that they are active. The tri-junction of Ranchi, Khunti and Chaibasa districts, the Parasnath hills in Giridh and Budha Pahar in Bokaro are some of the rebel hotspots in the state.”
He added, “Ever since the lockdown was imposed, anti-LWE operations were carried out on the basis of intelligence inputs. Despite its engagement with implementing the lockdown, the state police are also participating in these operations.”
Jharkhand Police IG (Operation) Saket Kumar Singh said, “So far, we have no information regarding any ceasefire announced by the extremists in Jharkhand. Police are also launching operations against the rebels. Our forces engaged in anti-LWE operations have not been diverted to Covid-19 works so far.”
A senior police officer from Garhwa, a highly sensitive district, said they have been instructed not to give the LWEs any breathing space during the ongoing lockdown.