A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Jawan suffered bullet injuries during an encounter with the CPI Maoists while a search operation was being conducted near Jobhi village under Madhuban Police Station in Giridih on Wednesday morning. Police said that the CRPF Jawan was airlifted and rushed to Ranchi for better treatment immediately after the incident.
“Following a tip-off that a meeting of CPI (Maoist) rebels was going to be held with the local villagers somewhere near Jobhi, a search operation was launched to trace them. As soon as the joint team of State Police and 154 battalion of CRPF reached there, the Maoists started firing following which the security forces also fired in retaliation, but the Maoists succeeded to escape from the location,” said Giridih SP Surendra Kumar Jha.
“Meanwhile, one of the Jawans, Veer Singh, received three bullet injuries on his hand and legs and was later shifted to Medica Hospital in Ranchi for better treatment. Condition of the injured jawan is stable now and the doctors said that he is out of danger,” said the SP.
The SP further added that the encounter took place somewhere between Pipradih and Raibeda early in the morning at around 3-4 am under the hillocks of Parasnath where the anti-Naxal operation was being conducted by the joint team of State Police and CRPF.
“A combing operation has been launched in the area to trace Maoists out,” said Jha.
Police did not rule out the possibility of injuries or casualties on the Maoists’ side since blood trails were found by security forces on the hill track through which the assailants are believed to have fled. Police also recovered two mobile phones, 2 tablet PCs, 50 pieces of detonators, posters, banners and others domestic article from the encounter site.
“Firing lasted about two hours but the one injured jawan was rescued using a bullet proof vehicle when the firing was going on “said ASP Deepak Kumar. Over 50 Maoists including some dressed in black uniform were involved in the attack, he added.
Hazaribagh DIG Bheemsent Tuti, top officials of CRPF immediately reached Giridih and took stock of the situation.