A CRPF jawan, Biswajit Chowhan, was killed along with three rebels in a fierce gun battle between the security forces and an armed squad of the CPI(Maoist) in a forest area at Guniyathar village under Bhelwaghati police station of Giridih district on Monday morning.

An AK 47 rifle, three magazines and four pipe bombs were recovered from the encounter site. The identities of the deceased rebels are yet to be established.

Chowhan, who had joined the CRPF in 2015, was a native of Mangaldoi in Assam.

CRPF sources said self-proclaimed zonal commander of CPI(Maoist) Siddhu Koda and his armed cadres were hiding in the area.

The three-hour encounter started around 4am following intelligence inputs that around five hardcore rebels headed by Koda were holding meeting in the foothills of Lamki Pahad at Guniyathar village, located about 55km from district the headquarters, and were planning to target the security forces.

The CRPF has a base camp at Bhelwaghati and Deori in Giridih bordering Jamui district of Bihar.

As soon as the CRPF cordoned off the area, the rebels opened fire. Three members of the Maoist squad were gunned down in retaliatory firing.

Giridih SP Surendra Kumar Jha, who had rushed to the spot along with additional forces, said, “There was information about rebels hiding in the area. They had plans to plant a landmine to target the security forces during the parliamentary election.”

The body of CRPF jawan was flown to Ranchi and taken to the base camp of the 133rd battalion in Dhurwa.

State chief secretary D.K. Tiwari, DGP D.K. Pandey, home secretary S.K.G. Rahate and CRPF IG Sanjay A. Latkar paid tribute to Chowhan. The body will be taken to his native place after post-mortem.

Man shot dead

CPI(Maoist) rebels shot dead a 40-year-old Churka Soren alias Raga on the suspicion of being a police informer outside his residence at Kanadih village under Dumri police station in Giridih on Sunday night.

Police said the deceased was sleeping outside of his home when three armed rebels rained bullets on him. Sources said the deceased had a criminal background.