Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): Brijesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh Bhokta, a senior Naxal leader of the banned Jharkhand-based outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) carrying a reward of Rs 30 lakh, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh ATS in Varanasi on Sunday morning, police said.
“We have received information from the IG (STF) that Brijesh Ganjhu, alias Gopal Singh, was neutralized in an encounter in Varanasi this morning,” Narendra Singh, IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson, said.
Ganjhu was the chief of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a banned organisation in Jharkhand, and was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in several cases, according to police.
A reward of Rs 25 lakh had been announced by the Jharkhand government and Rs 5 lakh by the NIA for information leading to his arrest.
According to Vipin Rai, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), UP ATS, the encounter took place in the early hours of Sunday when Ganjhu, along with an associate, was travelling on a motorcycle from Tengra Mor towards Mughalsarai via Ramnagar in Varanasi.
“Acting on an informant’s tip-off, police attempted to intercept and arrest him. Instead of stopping, he jumped off the vehicle and opened fire on the police personnel. In the ensuing crossfire, he was shot,” Rai said.
The incident took place in the Lanka Maidan area under Ramnagar police station limits, police said. During the exchange of fire, bullets fired by Ganjhu hit the bulletproof jackets of UP ATS Deputy SP Vipin Rai and Head Constable Nitendra Krishna. Both officers remained safe, police added.
The official informed that Ganjhu was immediately rushed to a hospital after sustaining injuries, where doctors declared him dead.
“The UP team had been searching for this Naxalite — a member of a banned organisation — for quite some time. Upon receiving information from an informant about his arrival during the night, the STF laid a trap and attempted to apprehend Brijesh Ganju. However, he tried to flee and opened fire on the police team. He was wounded in the ensuing retaliatory action and was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead,” Vipin Rai said.
He added that senior officials were reaching the spot and further legal formalities were underway.
Police said Ganjhu was a commander of the banned Jharkhand Naxal organisation TPC, which is considered a splinter group of the Maoist movement. The UP ATS team had been tracking his movements and launched the operation after receiving information about his presence in Varanasi.