Jamshedpur: Nearly a month after the Centre’s March 31 deadline to eliminate Left-wing extremism from the country, security forces gunned down a Maoist cadre in an encounter in Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district on Wednesday, police said.The deceased was identified as Amrit alias Israel, who carried a Rs 1 lakh bounty on his head and was an active member of the Ajay Mahato squad. Police said Mahato, a senior member of Misir Besra’s squad, is allegedly making efforts to revive the outfit in Saranda.A resident of Sangajata village under Goilkera police station limits, Amrit was a central technical committee cadre who specialized in assembling rockets, repairing weapons and making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), police sources said.Following a tip-off about the movement of top Maoist operative Misir Besra, security personnel comprising CRPF, CoBRA and district police conducted combing operation in the Rutugutu, Borai and Tunbera stretch of the forest early on Wednesday. During the operation, they came face to face with the Maoists leading to an exchange of fire between the two sides.“There’s no report of any casualty among security personnel yet,” SP of West Singhbhum, Amit Renu, said.The SP said intermittent firing continued throughout the day and added that the operation was still underway.Soon after the gunfight began, additional forces were deployed to surround the Maoists from three sides and neutralize them.The encounter comes four days after Maoists allegedly killed a former aide, Ramesh Champia, 37, alias Chamra, in Roigutu village under Chotanagra police station limits. The banned outfit had accused Chamra of passing on information to police about their movements.Anti-insurgency operations under the Goilkera, Tonto and Jaraikela police station limits of Saranda have intensified over the past four months following intelligence inputs that around 50 suspected ultras are camping in the hilly forests.Police said Besra, a senior Maoist politburo member carrying a reward of Rs 1 crore, is allegedly guiding his squad to safer locations as security forces have stepped up search operations.
