Jharkhand: Encounter between security forces and PLFI in West Singhbhum’s Chiabasa

Jamshedpur, Feb 3: A fierce encounter took place between the banned outfit ‘People’s Liberation Front of India’ (PLFI) Dinesh Gope led squad and security personnel in West Singhbhum district forest area in the wee hours of Thursday. The ultras had opened fire on the security forces, though no casualty was reported in the encounter.

The encounter took place in a jungle under Gudri police station when the security personnel comprising district armed police force of West Singhbhum and CRPF were on an anti-Naxal campaign in the area and the ultras opened fire.

Several rounds were fired in the encounter before the rebels sneaked into the forest under mounting pressure, the SP said, adding the security personnel seized some items from the spot but details were awaited.

A massive search operation has been launched to apprehend PLFI supremo Dinesh Gope who carries a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head.

Revealing about the encounter, a police official said that they got an intelligence input that a squad of PLFI activists had come to the forest area. “As a police team from the West Singhbhum district police started search operation for the rebels, the latter started raining bullets on the police party.  The police also started retaliatory firing, causing the rebels to start fleeing,” he said.

“Security has been beefed up in the area and they were keeping strict vigil on movement of the Naxalites. The plan is to keep a tab on the camps being operated by ultras,” said another official.

According to information the security forces besides taking up other issues, recently resolved to increase ‘joint operation’ with the neighbouring states in all the naxal infested blocks of the three districts that are attached to bordering states of West Bengal and Odisha.

Police said that the security has been beefed up in the area and they were keeping strict vigil on movement of the Naxlites. “There has been a substantial increase in Maoist activities in this. We are not much concerned about small acts of violence because these activities can be controlled by us, but the bigger attacks are worrisome,” said a security official.