A TOP Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jharkhand’s Gumla district Sunday afternoon. Police said Ashish Yadav alias Ashish Da was a member of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJ-SAC). He masterminded several operations against the security forces over the past few years, they said. Congratulating the CRPF and the police, DGP D K Pandey said: “This will be a turning point in our battle against the Maoists.” Gumla SP Chandan Kumar Jha said a joint team of the CRPF and police entered the forest area of Boradih on receiving specific information about the presence of Maoists there. He said the rebels opened fire when the security forces asked them to surrender. In retaliatory fire, Ashish was killed. “We are trying to get more details about Ashish’s involvement in Jharkhand and Bihar, as he was from Jehanabad,” said Jha. He said a few more Maoists may have sustained gunshot injuries in the encounter. “A detailed combing operation will be carried out,” he said. IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police spokesperson M S Bhatia said: “We have recovered three weapons — one INSAS rifle, one SLR and a high calibre rifle, besides another weapon and cartridges. These weapons were, in all probability, looted from the police.” He said additional forces were rushed from Ranchi in helicopters after information was received that the number of Maoists holed up in the jungle could be higher. “They are still in the jungle,” he said.
