Two Maoists killed in Aurangabad encounter identified

AURANGABAD: Two of the three Maoists killed in an encounter in Aurangabad district on Thursday have been identified as sub-zonal commander Budha Vyas alias Ranjit alias Jageshwar Pal and Golu Bhuinya. Pal, who belonged to Kulia Tola under the Pandu police station area of Palamu district, carried a reward of Rs5 lakh on his head. Golu was a resident of Nagoara under the Lutua police station area in Gaya district.The third one has not been identified yet.
Aurangabad SP Deepak Barnwal said Maoist commander Abhijit was the leader of group, which was planning sabotage during their bandh call from July 28 to August 3. The group had planned to blast Sanda Bridge under Amba police station area near Prata village. Police had foiled their bid after an encounter. Police had received information that 40 to 50 members of Abhijit group had gathered in the Chakarbandha forest on Gaya-Aurangabad border, the SP said.
An AK-47 rifle, 3 Insas rifles, 1 US carbine, 1 carbine, one 303 rifle and cartridges of AK-47, Insas, 9mm pistol, 13mm pistol and other weapons were recovered from the encounter site. Besides Aurangabad SP, Gaya SSP Rajiv Mishra, ASP Arun Singh, Rajesh Kumar Singh, commandant of 153 Cobra battalion Pankaj Dwivedi and his deputy Anil Kumar and STF and district police forces had jointly conducted the operation.