In a major fillip to the anti-Naxal operations, self proclaimed sub-zonal commander of CPI (Maoists) and chief of Area Committee-2 Vishal alias Tulsi Das was gunned down by the police during an exchange of fire with a group of rebels near lemba village in Khunti under Arki police station.
Vishal was wanted in more than two dozen cases registered with Bundu, Tamar and Chauka and other police stations in the area. Reward money of Rs 2 lakh had been announced on his head by the police. "This is a great achievement by the state police….operations will be continued against the rebels until peace prevails in the State," said DGP Rajiv Kumar during a programme at the Jharkhand Assembly. All those who were involved in the operation will be felicitated by the state police, he added.
According to the DGP, the police is committed to take actions against those who try to go against the law and kill innocent people. "We must praise those jawans who are fighting against the Naxals on the front," Kumar said.
The DGP also added that gunning down of Vishal, supposed to be one of the close aides of dreaded Maoist Kundan Pahan, is also an answer to those who were alleging the police of taking actions only against PlFI.
Vishal was reportedly moving with Kundan Pahan and Anal to attend a meeting in lohardaga, intercepted by the security forces on their way in the jungles of Arki.
"We had an information about the movement of a group of Kundan Pahan along with Anal and Vishal, on the basis of which we tried to chase them but they started firing indiscriminately on the team.
The security forces also retaliated during which Vishal was killed," said Khunti SP Anees Gupta. An Assistant Commandant rank officer of CoBRA unit has been shot under the eye who has been shifted to a hospital in Ranchi, said the SP.
A heavy exchange of fire took place between the two sides for over two hours following which the Naxals retreated leaving the body along with the ammunitions behind them, added Gupta.
Security forces have also recovered an AK series rifle, 150 bullets, magazines, a grenade and two mobile phones after the operation which ended at 4am.
A joint team of Ranchi and Khunti Police was led by Rural SP of Ranchi SK Jha during the operation. The team constituted 22 members from local police, CRPF and Cobra battalion of State police.