SUBHASH MISHRA
Ranchi, April 21: Eight hardcore Naxals, including senior leaders Vivek alias Prayag Majhi and Arvind Yadav—both Central Committee members—were killed in a joint operation conducted by CRPF, the 209 CoBRA unit, Bokaro Police, and Jharkhand Jaguar.
The encounter occurred in the early hours of Monday in the Lugu Pahar area of Lalpania under the Jageshwar Vihar police station area, located approximately 73 km from the Bokaro district headquarters.
Vivek alias Prayag Majhi, who carried a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head, was among the deceased. Another key figure, Saheb Ram Majhi, a Zonal Committee member with a ₹10 lakh reward, was also killed in the operation.
The joint offensive is part of a special campaign code-named ‘Dakabera’ aimed at flushing out Naxals from the region.
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Gunbattle and Ongoing Operation
According to Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta, the encounter began around 5:30 AM. Security forces had launched the search based on intelligence inputs about the presence of armed Naxals in the Lugu Pahar terrain.
The operation soon led to a fierce exchange of fire, resulting in the deaths of eight Naxals. A search operation is still underway in the dense forest area to trace more insurgents or hidden supplies.
While the identities of three top leaders have been confirmed, efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining five deceased Naxals.
Weapons Seized
Security personnel recovered a significant cache of arms from the site, including four Insas rifles, one SLR, and one revolver, along with various daily-use domestic items suspected to have been used by the Naxals during their stay in the region.
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This marks the first time that such a large number of senior Naxal operatives—particularly eight notorious figures—have been neutralized in a single encounter in the North Chhotanagpur Division of Jharkhand. The success of the operation is being seen as a major blow to the outlawed group’s presence in the state.
