Setback to Maoists eyeing base in Valmiki reserve
The left wing extremists had a major setback in West Champaran as four of their hardcore cadre members were eliminated in a joint operation by Bihar Police STF and Shashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on Friday. Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint team of SSB and STF penetrated into the deep forest area under the Lokriya Police station in the Doon area of Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve. When the Maoists were surrounded on all sides, they started indiscriminate firing at the raiding team in which an inspector rank officer of the SSB and a policeman received bullet injuries. In the retaliatory fire, four Maoists were killed on the spot. However, the zonal commander of the area identified as Ram Babu Sahni, along with his other comrades, managed to flee, hurling bombs and firing indiscriminately at the raiding team.
The team later recovered four bodies from the spot and they were later identified as Vipul Nakul Sonu and Kiran. The joint team also recovered one AK 56 rifle, three SLRA and one 303 rifle from the place of encounter. Doon comes under the core forest area of VTR and the terrain is extremely difficult and shares its border with neighbouring Chitwan National Park in Nepal. The location is perfect for setting up base and the Maoists
for long have been wanting to set up their base in the area. The border is porous and every time the police on the Indian side steps up vigil, the Maoists easily manage to escape on the other side of the border into the Chitwan National
Park.
The activities of the Maoists in the area became apparent after the killing of Champapur Ganauli panchayat mukhiya, Manoj Kumar Singh two years ago. Vipul was arrested in 2018 for the murder of the mukhiya and was out on bail. IG SSB Sanjay Kumar said that the operation was extremely difficult as the terrain in very difficult, yet based on specific inputs the joint team successfully carried out the operation. He indicated that there was very heavy exchange of fire from both sides in which some more causalities are possible.
Apparently, the successful operation is a big blow on attempts by left wing extremists to set up base there.
Intelligence inputs indicate that the zonal commander Ram Babu Sahni was recently transferred from Gaya zone to Valmikinagar and was tasked to set up base in that area.
It’s also learnt that he had tried to rope in the support of several local youths in the area and even indoctrinated dozens of youth to join the cadre. Now investigations are on to identify and locate the other members of the group. (With inputs from Imran Aziz from Bagaha)