Latehar (Jharkhand) Two Maoists, including JJMP supremo Pappu Lohra, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Saturday morning, police said.
Lohra, the chief of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a Maoist splinter group, and his associate were killed during an anti-Naxal operation, conducted jointly by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jharkhand Police, in a forest under the Latehar Police Station limits, a senior officer said.
“Two Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces. The police have recovered their bodies,” Palamu DIG YS Ramesh told PTI.
According to Palamu DIG YS Ramesh, the Maoists opened fire on the approaching security personnel, prompting a retaliatory response. Both Lohra and Ganjhu were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.
Latehar Superintendent of Police Kumar Gaurav led the operation, which is reportedly still ongoing. In addition to the two fatalities, another JJMP member was injured and subsequently arrested. Security forces also recovered an INSAS rifle from the site.
The deaths of Lohra and Ganjhu mark a significant blow to the JJMP’s activities in the region, further weakening the influence of the renegade Maoist faction in Jharkhand.
