Jharkhand News : Jharkhand Police achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism by killing most-wanted PLFI commander Martin Kerketta in a late-night encounter in Gumla district. Kerketta carried a reward of ₹15 lakh and was considered one of the top leaders of the People’s Liberation Front of India after the arrest of PLFI chief Dinesh Gope.
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The encounter took place in the forests of Changabari, under Kamdara police station limits, when police teams, acting on intelligence inputs, surrounded the area. As forces approached, the Naxals opened fire, prompting retaliatory action in which Kerketta was killed. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.
Police sources said over a dozen armed cadres were with Kerketta, many of whom escaped after the gunfight. Blood trails suggest some may have been injured. Search and cordon operations are still underway, involving Gumla district QRT, local police, and forces from two adjoining stations.
Kerketta, a resident of Redma village in Kamdara, was a central committee member of PLFI and closely associated with Dinesh Gope since childhood. He had been involved in multiple violent incidents and was also named in an NIA case related to terror funding.
