PATNA: A CPI (Maoist) armed squad member, identified as Mansa Kora, was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Maoist-hit Lakhisarai district on Thursday. An Insas rifle and magazine, a hand grenade, and 236 live cartridges were recovered from the site, police said.
The deceased was an activist of the armed squad led by Arvind Yadav. Kora, a resident of Gurmaha Bichlatola under Barhat police station in Jamui district.
Following an alert, a joint team of CRPF, STF, Cobra and district armed police units launched a search operation in Cheraun Korasi forest under Chananpur police station area around 10.30 am, leading to an exchange of fire. Lakhisarai SP Sushil Kumar confirmed that one Maoist was killed in the exchange of fire while others managed to escape taking advantage of the forest cover. The site is around 15 km from the district headquarters.
The SP further said that raids were on to arrest the Maoists who managed to escape. “We had specific intelligence inputs about a gathering of an armed squad of the banned outfit. Police launched an operation, leading to the killing of a hardcore Maoist,” he added.
The borders of Lakhisarai with Jamui, another Maoist-hit district in the region, has been sealed and operation launched in the villages considered safe hideouts of the Maoists. The neighbouring Munger district has also been put on alert in the wake of the police operation, the SP said.
The district witnessed a Maoist encounter after a gap of almost three years. A self-proclaimed area commander Baleshwar Kora had suffered grievous bullet injuries in the exchange of fire between the police and the Maoists between Ghogharghati and Kanimoh village under Kajra police station in 2018.
Notably, the areas falling under Chanan police station in Lakhisarai district have of late become a safe hideout for the Maoists, who were carrying out their operation with consummate ease.