Silchar: Authorities have reported the death of a Maoist leader, Ipil Murmu, also known as Rohit Murmu, in an encounter with police in Kokrajhar, Assam. Murmu was reportedly connected to an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that damaged railway tracks in the Kokrajhar district earlier this week.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning in the Nandangiri area of Salakati, where security forces engaged with a group of Maoist operatives. According to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for Kokrajhar, Pushpraj Singh, Murmu sustained severe injuries during the exchange of fire and later died while receiving treatment at a government hospital.
SSP Singh stated that the police located the group in a hilly region following a search operation. The Maoists allegedly initiated the attack with firearms, prompting a retaliatory response from the police. While other members of the group managed to escape, Murmu was apprehended but later died.
Murmu, a resident of Kokrajhar, had reportedly joined a Maoist faction in Jharkhand in 2013. His alleged involvement in criminal activities extends to a similar blast in Jharkhand’s Sahebganj in 2024, as well as extortion and kidnapping operations. Police have registered 10 cases against him in Jharkhand, where he was considered a most-wanted criminal.
Following the encounter, police recovered firearms and explosives from the site. An operation is underway to apprehend the other suspected Maoist cadres who fled the scene. The investigation into the group’s activities and potential further attacks is ongoing.
The IED blast, which occurred around 12:57 am on Thursday, caused damage to approximately two feet of railway track. Thankfully, a goods train passing through the affected section did not derail, averting a potentially catastrophic situation, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Chief Minister also highlighted recent unrest caused by other groups, such as the United Liberation Front of Asom–Independent (ULFA-I), mentioning an earlier attack on an Indian Army camp that was successfully repelled by security forces.