Gumla: Two persons were killed and six others were injured when they were caught in an encounter between security personnel and Maoists in Gumla district of Jharkhand on Wednesday, prompting Chief Minister Hemant Soren to order a probe into the incident.
"Truck driver Heeralal Oraon (30) and labourer Nilesh Oraon (26) died while Ashok Oraon, Sureshwar Oraon, Sameer Oraon and Upendra Oraon were injured in crossfire between Maoists and security forces at Marwai village under Bishanpur police station early in the morning," said Mritunjay Kumar, Superintendent of Police (Lohardaga district), who is also acting SP of Gumla district.
Kumar said they received an information that a group of naxals have gathered in the village and the security personnel arrived there to apprehend them.
When the security personnel made an attempt to intercept a bauxite-laden truck, firing started from other side, which forced them to retaliate, the SP said, adding, that it was not yet ascertained whether the victims including the truck driver were killed by security personnel or Maoists bullets.
The injured were rushed to the nearby Bishanpur Community hospital, where doctors referred two seriously injured persons to Rajendra Institute Medical Science in Ranchi, Kumar said.
Senior police officials including DIG (Ranchi) Praveen Kumar Singh have reached the spot to investigate the incident.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren described the incident as unfortunate and directed the South Chottanagpur Commissioner K K Khandelwal and IGP (Zonal) M S Bhati to probe into the incident and take action against the guilty, an official release said in Ranchi.
Soren also announced Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of the two persons killed in the crossfire.
He also announced Rs one lakh to each of the injured, besides instructing free treatment, the release added.
