A senior commander of the banned CPI (Maoist) was killed during a fierce gunfight with security forces late Monday night in Palamu district, police confirmed on Tuesday.
Another Maoist insurgent, reportedly carrying a bounty of ₹15 lakh, is believed to have been injured in the exchange.
The encounter occurred in the Sitachuan area, located between the Mohammadganj and Hydernagar police station limits. Security forces launched a search operation after the gunfight and recovered several weapons, including a self-loading rifle.
“The body of a CPI (Maoist) member has been recovered following an intense exchange of fire. Identification is underway,” said Palamu DIG YS Ramesh.
However, another police official identified the deceased as Tulsi Bhuniyan, a top Maoist commander. He also reported that Nitesh Yadav, the injured Maoist with a ₹15 lakh reward on his head, suffered a bullet wound. DIG Ramesh noted that this claim is still being verified.
The operation is part of an ongoing crackdown on Maoist activity in the region, which has seen heightened security action in recent months.
