Ranchi: Police on Friday shot dead a CPI(Maoist) cadre and recovered a huge cache of explosives after a fierce gunbattle at Tamar in the district, foiling the outfit`s plans to disrupt the fourth round of assembly polls in Jharkhand scheduled for tomorrow.
The police and CRPF personnel reached the spot this
morning following information that about 60 CPI(Maoist) cadres
of Kundan Pahan group had assembled in the thick forest of
Kuchai on Tamar-Sareikela district borders, Ranchi Senior
Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said.
On seeing the police the Maoists opened fire and in the
exchange that followed one ultra was killed. About 500 bullets
were fired and grenades blasted during the encounter, he said.
"The Maoist`s body has been carried away by his
associates after the 90-minute exchange between the two sides.
The forests are so thick that it was not possible to prevent
them from escaping," Kumar said.
About 200 kg explosive gel, 200 kg ammonium nitrate,
three guns, two can bombs each weighing 30 kg, 50 empty cans,
which can be used as bombs, besides wires, batteries, flash
lights and rucksacks were recovered from the spot, he added.
Kumar said the forces had to walk for 10 km of difficult
forest terrain in the early morning hours before they reached
the spot at 8.30 am.
A total 14 constituencies, most of them in Maoist-hit
areas of Jharkhand, are going to the hustings tomorrow.
PTI
