Fire-arms, cellphones recovered, squad fled towards Bengal
Jamshedpur, May 4 : Early morning gun shots rattled peace and tranquility at Dalma foothills as CPI-Maoist rebels and paramilitary forces had an encounter at Konkadasha jungle in the foot-hills of Dalma under Bodampolice station area on Friday morning.
According to information a 15-member squad of AsimMondal alias Aakash which was trying to revive naxal activities at the foothills of Dalma in the adjoining Patamda block, had to flee toward Bengal, but also had to lose their fire-arms, cellphones and other materials, including food as well as cloths.
Revealing about the incident, East Singhbhum senior superintendent of police, AnoopBirthray confirmed about the encounter which continued for over 30 minutes at Konkadasha jungle in Patamda block’s Bodam area.
” Acting on an information about the presence of CPI-Maoist commander Aakash and his squad at Konkadasha jungle,two companies of CRPF and the local police had launched an operation from Thursday night. In the morning at about 7 am, the rebels had suddenly started targeting the forces. The CRPF answered the shots thus the encounter continued for about half-an-hour,” said Birthray.
The senior SP said that as the CRPF had greater fire power, the rebels fled toward Bengal which was about three kms away from the spot of encounter.
” After the operation the police carried out a search operation in which they got a country-made gun, three mobile phones, cloths, water-bottles, medicines and other items necessary for staying in jungle,” said the senior police officer.
Birthray, when asked, said the rebels had not set up a camp at Konkadasha, but had come there for a stay at the jungle. He said Akaash is a dreaded naxal and who operates mainly in adjoining Purulia district of Bengal and also does enter into Dalma for reviving the rebels foothold there which was once a stronghold next to Saranda.
The last encounter at Dalma foothills had taken place nine years ago when the rebels had torched two vegetable trucks at Bhadodih villages in Patamda during a two-day naxal-sponsored bandh in August 2009 when the then CPI-Maoist sub-zonal commandar Arup Mochi was active there.
A senior police official said: �Joint operation of police and paramilitary is all essential as rebels will tend to concentrate on the Singhbhum side of the border during the time. The joint anti-insurgency operation at Patamda,Dalma and Ghatshila region will keep the area largely free from activities of naxals”.
Sources informed that a sudden rise in the Maoists activities have let the forces intensify the patrolling. Following the incident the police have launched combing operation in the naxal-infested areas of Ghatshila sub division consisting of areas like Dumaria, Musaboni, Chakulia, Bahragora and Ghatshila.