During a major offensive against extremists in the areas bordering Ranchi, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranchi, Parbhat Kumar, received a bullet injury while his driver (a jawan) died on the spot in an encounter with a group of Maoists on Tuesday.
According to officials, Kumar had specific inputs about a gathering of CPI (Maoist) cadres in Dulia forests of Khunti district near Ranchi border. As soon as the SSP reached the spot the rebels started firing indiscriminately on his vehicle. Kumar was hit by a bullet in his right armpit and his bodyguard Faisal also got injured while his driver Rumul Sewaiya died on the spot, they added.
Jharkhand DGP DK Pandey said two teams of Ranchi and Khunti Police led by Ranchi SSP had got a tip off about gathering of Maoists near Marangdaha of Ranchi-Khnti border area. “A commander named Chandan was leading the group there. And, police planned to nab them there. When the team reached there an encounter took place in which Ranchi SSP’s driver Rumul Sewaiya died, while the SSP and his bodyguard received bullet injuries,” he added.
“The SSP was hit in the right armpit and his bodyguard was hit in the leg. ASP (operation), Ranchi and his bodyguards have bruises. The Maoist Chandan has been killed in the police’s retaliatory firing and we have received inputs that another rebel has been hit by police bullets,” said the DGP, adding that all the injured persons have been brought to Ranchi after preliminary treatment at Khunti.
ADG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson SN Pradhan also confirmed that a Maoist Zonal Commander Chandan was killed and the body was found, while another Maoist got injured in an encounter at Dulmi in Khunti district. “The Maoist team had 10-12 members, including Special Area Committee member Deepak. Operation and combing is underway to search the rebels,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raghubar Das alongwith senior officials of the State Government reached Mahaveer Medica Hospital in Ranchi, where the injured have been admitted. The CM asked the authorities to ensure proper treatment of the injured policemen and announced Rs10 lakh compensation money to the dependent of the martyred jawan alongwith free education to his kids.