In a yet another setback to the security forces ahead of the parliamentary elections in the State, four security personnel, including the officer incharge of Murhu police station, got injured in two different incidents of landmine blast and gun battle with red rebels in Khunti and Garhwa respectively. Injured persons have been rushed to Apollo hospitals in Ranchi who are said to be out of danger now.
“The police party during a routine operation near Kotana village under Murhu police station ran over a landmine which blew up injuring the officer in charge of Murhu Police Station PK Jha, constable Harish Kumar and driver Roshna Mundu in the incident,” said IG (Provisions) and Police Spokesperson Anurag Gupta.
According to Gupta, the police party in two separate vehicles were going to attend a meeting called by the villagers of Kotana village.
“After the vehicle which was moving ahead of the second one ran over the landmine, the policemen on the second vehicle replied with bullets accordingly forcing the rebels to disappear in the nearby jungles,” added Gupta.
All the policemen, injured in the incident are out of danger now, said Gupta. The police are suspecting the handiwork of People’s liberation of Front of India (PlFI) cadres behind the incident, he added.
In a separate incident in Garhwa, one security personnel got injured during the gun battle with the red rebels near Bhumi More under Ghurki police station in the bordering areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
“The encounter took place at around 6 am the police party, getting a tip-off about the movement of some suspicious activity by some people in the area, left for the spot who were interrupted by a group of rebels near Kanhar village,” said SP S K Jha. One constable of JAP III Abudul Sattar Rai got hurt during the encounter, who had received bullet injuries near his neck, added Jha.
The gun battle took place at the bordering areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh which lasted for over three hours, said the SP. The group of rebels counted over 12-15 members who are allegedly from the gang of Krishna Buhuiyan alias ‘Dehati.’
According to the police sources, blood stains have been found from the spot indicating signs of injuries sustained by the Maoists also. The search operation for the members of Dehati gang still continues in the jungles of Ghurki.
The police however, claim to have made adequate arrangements to check such incidents during the parliamentary polls in the state.
“We will be deploying adequate static forces at all the sensitive booths identified by the SPs and DCs of the districts. Besides, massive conducting massive anti-Naxal operations in the affected areas to nab them, regular patrolling is being conducted ahead of the parliamentary elections in the state,” said Gupta.
Gupta also reiterated that adequate security is also being provided to the candidates who are contesting the parliamentary elections which are also being reviewed time to time by a Security Committee formed by the Jharkhand Police.
Remarkably Khunti has been identified as one of the worst left wing extremism (lWE) hit districts killing at least 34 people in different Naxal related incidents in the district last year.Recently, the politicians of the district have also registered their apprehension of being targeted by the red rebels during the coming parliamentary elections.