Jharkhand News : A top commander of the banned extremist outfit Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), Mukhdev Yadav, was killed in a fierce encounter with security forces on Sunday. The gunbattle took place in the dense forests between Kash and Banshi Khurd, located on the border of Manatu and Tarhasi police station areas in Palamu district.
Mukdhev Yadav, who carried a reward of ₹5 lakh on his head, was confirmed dead by police. His body was recovered from the encounter site along with an INSAS rifle.
According to Palamu SP Reeshma Ramesan, the encounter involved the same TSPC unit that had killed two Palamu police personnel in an earlier gunfight on September 3. The current operation was launched as part of a larger crackdown targeting TSPC commander Shashikant, who carries a bounty of ₹10 lakh.
Security forces including elite CoBRA units, Jaguar commandos, and Palamu district police were deployed for the search operation. As soon as forces entered the Manatu forest area, they were fired upon by TSPC operatives. Security personnel retaliated, resulting in the death of Mukhdev Yadav.
The search operation in the region is ongoing to eliminate remaining insurgents and recover weapons or hidden camps.
