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CoBRA jawan injured in Maoist IED blast in Saranda, NIA seeks details of 7 Naxals
NIA seeks info on seven Naxals in Jharkhand as a CoBRA jawan is injured in an IED blast; 41 security personnel injured and 12 killed in three years.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought detailed information from Jharkhand police about seven hardcore Naxals operating inside the Saranda Forests, even as another jawan of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was injured seriously in a Maoist IED blast in Baliba area under Chotanagra police station inside Saranda Forests in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, police said on Monday.
The injured jawan identified as Anuj Kumar was rescued out of the jungles and air-lifted to Ranchi for better treatment.
“CoBRA battalion -205 jawan Anuj Kumar got injured in one of many IEDs planted by the banned LWE outfit CPI (Maoist) extremists during search operation early Monday morning at Baliba under Chotanagra PS limits in Saranda Forests. The Naxals have been carrying out such cowardly acts for long to harm the security forces and in which many innocent villagers have also lost their lives earlier. Our anti-Naxal operations are ongoing and it will not stop until and unless the Naxals are completely wiped out of Saranda and the district,” Amit Renu, West Singhbhum superintendent of police, told HT on Monday.
Chaibasa Sadar SDPO Bahman Tuti said the injured jawan had been safely evacuated out of the forests and air-lifted to Ranchi. “He has sustained injuries in one of his legs and is stable now,” he said.
With today’s incident, total 41 security personnel have been injured and 12 martyred in Maoist blasts and violence in past three years. This apart, 32 villagers have also lost their lives in Maoist violence during the period.
Meanwhile, the NIA has sought detailed information about seven active Naxalites inside Saranda Forests from the special branch (SB) of the Jharkhand Police.
“The NIA has sought information about female Maoists Rita alias Mansi, Rajni Sunita, Vineeta, Sohan Punem and Sandip alias Hidma and Lalchand Hembram alias Anmol in its letter to the SB. The number of cases, details of cases in different PS areas, present activities and network of these seven Maoists have been sought,” a senior police official said.
Officials said Rita alias Mansi, Sunita, Vineeta and Rajni were active in the Maoist politburo member Misir Besra’s squad. Sohan Punem and Sandip alias Hidma were originally from Bijapur in Chhattisgarh.
Misir Besra alias Nirbhay and Maoist central committee member Asim Mondal alias Akash alias Timir carry bounty of ₹1 crore each on their heads. Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC) member Lalchand Hembram alias Anmol was killed along with 16 other top Maoists, including Patiram Majhi alias Anal-da, carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹2.35 crore during an encounter at Kumdih jungles inside Saranda Forests on January 20-21. Anmol carried a cumulative bounty of ₹90 lakh - ₹25 lakh by Jharkhand government and ₹65 lakh by the Odisha government.
