Eight Naxals including three high profile leaders were eliminated in an encounter by CoBRA commandos and police at Lugu Hills in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Monday. A high-ranking central committee member was among the deceased who had a Rs 1 crore reward announced after him. The central committee serves as the primary decision-making authority of the banned CPI (Maoist organisation).
The CoBRA functions as the CRPF’s specialised jungle warfare unit. This operation aligns with the government’s objective to eliminate Naxalism by March, 2026.
Naxal members who were killed
The deceased included central committee member Prayag Manjhi (Vivek), special area committee member Arvind Yadav (Avinash), zonal committee member Sahebram Manjhi (Rahul Manjhi). Mahesh Manjhi, Talu, Ranju Manjhi, Gangaram and Mahesh were also killed in the encounter.
The rewards on the militants were Rs 1 crore for Prayag Manjhi aka Vivek, Rs 25 lakh for Arvind Yadav and Rs 10 lakh for Sahebram Manjhi aka Rahul. Multiple cases of violence were registered against the deceased Naxalites.
Weapons seized during encounter
The confrontation between Naxals, Jharkhand Police and CoBRA commandos began at around 5.30 am in Lugu Hills of Lalpania area. During the operation, conducted by 209 CoBRA Battalion and state police, weapons including an AK series rifle, three INSAS rifles, a self-loading rifle, eight country-made guns and a pistol were seized.
Maoist wiped out in North Chotanagpur: DGP
Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta said, “With this encounter, Maoist squads in North Chotanagpur region have been wiped out. Maoists have nearly been wiped out from across the state. They only remain in Chaibasa region. We are going to relocate all our forces, including the CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar and Jharkhand Armed Police, in the Saranda area. Our target is to eliminate all the Maoist squads in the region in the next 15 to 20 days, or certainly before the rainy season.”
Home Ministry commends Naxal encounter
The home ministry commended the security forces for their achievement in the ongoing anti-Naxal operations.
“Our march to eliminate Naxalism continues unabated. Today security forces achieved another significant success in the ongoing operation to uproot Naxalism. In an encounter at Lugu Hills in Bokaro, Jharkhand, 8 Maoists were neutralised, including a top-level naxal leader, Vivek, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore, and two other notorious Naxalites. The operation is being continued. Applaud our security forces,” official X account of the Home Ministry posted on Monday.
Chhattisgarh CM to meet Amit Shah to review anti-Naxal operations
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai is scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on next Monday to review anti-Naxal operations. Over 140 Maoists have been eliminated in Chhattisgarh this year, a state which is considered as a stronghold of Left Wing Extremism.
