THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Sept 4: Two policemen of the Palamu district armed force were shot dead and another injured in a brief encounter with the banned extremist outfit, the Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), at Keydaal village under Manatu police station late on Wednesday night.
Policemen killed, one injured
The slain policemen have been identified as Santan Kumar Mehta and Sunil Ram, both residents of Haidernagar block in Palamu.
Another policeman, Rohit Kumar, sustained a bullet injury to his thigh and underwent surgery at Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH), Daltonganj, where surgeons successfully removed the bullet.
Top brass rushes to Daltonganj
In the wake of the killings, DGP Anurag Gupta dispatched three senior officers—IG Michael S Raj, CRPF IG Saket Singh, and IG Anup Birtharey—to Daltonganj.
Speaking to the media, IG Michael S Raj vowed a strong retaliation. “The TSPC will be taught a salutary lesson for the killing of our two men. We will avenge their sacrifice,” he said.
Police vow intensified operations
According to officials, the encounter took place with TSPC’s Shashikant-led squad based on a tip-off. The police team, which included ASP (Operations) Rakesh Singh and SDPO S Mohammad Yakub, engaged the extremists but the ultras managed to escape.
IG Michael S Raj dismissed suggestions of a resurgence of extremism in Palamu, asserting that operations against naxals would only intensify. “This is warfare. The balance is not against the police—we have neutralised many. Jharkhand will be free of naxalism by March 2026,” he reiterated.
CRPF’s role in Palamu
CRPF IG Saket Singh assured full cooperation, stating that if the district administration required CRPF deployment, his forces would extend full support.
The CRPF had withdrawn from Palamu in 2024 after the Ministry of Home Affairs declared the district free of Left-Wing Extremism.
