Ranchi police kill PLFI area commander in encounter

• A PLFI member was gunned down by Jharkhand police in an encounter in Ranchi
• PLFI started firing as they noticed a police team advancing towards them 
• The deceased's team members managed to escape into the nearby forest

Jharkhand police gunned down a member of PLFI (a splinter group of the CPI (Maoists)), Vishal Sahu after a brief encounter on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The incident took place at Mudla Toli, located half a kilometre from Thakurgaon police station on the outskirts of Jharkhand’s capital.

The breakthrough came after a police team comprising the assault force Jharkhand Jaguar and a jawan of the quick response team (QRT) swung into action getting a tip-off regarding an assembly of extremists to plan some big destructive action against a businessman who denied their levy demand

“The PLFI militants already present in Mudla Toli started firing as they noticed a police team advancing towards them. After the police team retaliated, area commander Vishal died on the spot.  Seeing the police being overwhelmed, the militants in Vishal’s squad escaped taking advantage of the jungle and darkness,” a police official said.

"Several rounds of fire were exchanged during the encounter. While Sahu was killed on the spot, his team members managed to escape into the nearby forest,” an official stated. Notably, Vishal was active in Budmu and Thakurgaon areas.