The Zonal Area Commander of Simdega of banned outfit People’s liberation Front of India (PlFI), who was admitted at the IGH Hospital on Friday morning along with his bodyguard following an exchange of fire with police, died at the Ispat General Hospital here in the evening.
Zonal Area Commander Jaidhar Gope (29) alias Mangra alias lamboo of Tukitola village under Kolabira police station under Simdega district of Jharkhand and his bodyguard Santu Badaik (35) of Jamdihi village under Tamdera police station of Gumla district of Jharkhand sustained serious bullet injuries in an encounter with the police in the early hours on Friday. The condition of Santu is stated to be stable.
The encounter took place at Mashrikudar-Erla road between Bisra and Bandhamunda road when the ultras came face to face with the police, said Rourkela SP Amitendra Nath Sinha.
While 55 cases, including 25 murder cases was pending against him in Jharkhand and one at Bisra police station, Santu has more than five cases pending against him in Jharkhand including two murder cases. Two pistols, seven mobile phones, two rounds of live ammunition, a wallet containing Rs5350 and a Scooty were recovered from their possession. According to reports, a special squad of Rourkela police raided Bisra area in the early morning hours following information that six to seven PlFI members had entered the city limits. While the squad was on its way to Bisra it was fired at by the PlFI men, leading to the encounter.