Vigil up after Maoist with ₹15 lakh bounty spotted in Saranda

Jamshedpur: Security forces, who are engaged in anti-LWE operations in rebel-hit West Singhbhum district, have stepped up vigil after news about the movements of wanted Maoist operative Kumba Murmu in the forests under Gua police station limits surfaced.
Murmu alias Mehnant and Mochu is wanted in more than two dozen criminal cases across Khunti and West Singhbhum. Murmu was seen in the forests of Lupung in Gua with his armed squad, which also includes women guerrilla fighters, on April 21. The police have learnt that Murmu has been camping in the forests since and suspect that he is plotting a major attack against the security forces.
Murmu carries a reward of Rs 15 lakh and is reportedly close to senior Maoist leader Misir Besra. “We are currently examining the reports. Security forces are watchful and an extensive cordon and search operation has been launched in the area,” SP Ashutosh Shekhar said.
Security forces, the police officials said, are on heightened alert ever since 7,000 detonators were stolen by the Maoists from the warehouse of a private company in Parambaljori forest area under Kiriburu police station limits on March 31 this year.
“The police has been receiving intelligence from time to time about the movement of the fugitive extremists namely Misir Besra, Ramesh da alias Anal da, Manoj da alias Akadhy da, Pramod Mishra,, Ajay Mahato, in the Saranda forest. These inputs are verified and operation strategies are worked out accordingly," the SP said. On Friday, the security forces recovered four IEDs, three each of 3-kg weight and one of 5-kg weight, from Meralgarh village in Goilkera police station area in Chakradharpur sub-division.
In Lupung forest, three armed women rebels — Sona Mahi, Sunika Champia and Shanti Purty — all in the age group of 22-25 years, were killed in an encounter with the security forces on April 9, 2020, while the rebels were planning ambush to target the security forces.