- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: In a significant setback for Naxalism, three high-profile leaders of the banned organization, including one with a bounty of Rs 1 crore, were eliminated on Monday during a joint operation in Bokaro district, Jharkhand. In total, eight members of the group were neutralized during the operation.
The three prominent figures included Prayag Manjhi, also known as Vivek, who had a bounty of Rs 1 crore, Arvind Yadav with a reward of Rs 25 lakh, and Sahebram Manjhi, or Rahul Manjhi, who had a bounty of Rs 10 lakh. The remaining Naxals identified in the operation were Mahesh Manjhi (alias Mota), Talu, Raju Manjhi, Gangaram, and Mahesh.
Prayag Manjhi, aged 60, was a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the Eastern Regional Bureau of Naxals. The encounter began around 5:30 am in the Lugu hills area of Lalpania in Bokaro, following an exchange of fire between the rebel group and the 209 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police.
The CRPF reported that a large cache of arms was recovered from the site, including one AK-series rifle, one Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), three INSAS rifles, one pistol, and eight country-made Bharmar rifles. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or casualties among the security personnel involved.
The CRPF stated, “The gunfire has ceased, and a thorough search operation is currently underway to ensure complete sanitization of the area and to locate any remaining insurgents or concealed weapons.” This operation is part of a broader campaign to dismantle Naxalism activities in the region.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the security forces for their successful operation in a post on the platform ‘X’. He noted, “Our march to eliminate Naxalism continues unabated. Today, security forces achieved another significant success in the ongoing operation to uproot Naxalism. In an encounter at Lugu Hills in Bokaro, Jharkhand, eight Maoists were neutralized, including the high-profile leader Vivek, with a reward of Rs 1 crore, and two other notorious Naxalites. The operation is still ongoing. I commend our security forces.”
This latest operation has brought the total number of Naxals neutralized this year to 93 in joint efforts involving the CRPF. Over the past five years (2020-2024), a total of 178 Naxals have been neutralized in similar joint operations with the CRPF, with the highest number being 104 in 2024, followed by 15 in 2023, 12 in 2022, 15 in 2021, and 32 in 2020. Most of these Naxals were neutralized in Chhattisgarh.
