A Maoist leader carrying a reward of ₹10 lakh on his head was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district on Sunday. The encounter occurred in the morning at Burjuwa Hill, within the jurisdiction of the Goilkera police station.

The deceased Maoist has been identified as Amit Hansda, also known as Aaptan, a self-styled zonal commander of the CPI (Maoist). Kolhan DIG Anuranjan Kispotta confirmed the encounter between Maoists and security forces to PTI. Following the gunfight, a search operation was conducted, leading to the recovery of Hansda's body.

According to IG (operations) and Jharkhand Police spokesperson Michael Raj S, the search operation is still underway in the area. The Chaibasa superintendent of police had received intelligence regarding the presence of Maoists in the Relaparal area, which falls under the Goilkera police station. Acting on this information, security forces launched a search operation in the morning, and the encounter commenced at approximately 6 am.

During the encounter, the Maoists, realizing they were being overpowered, fled into the dense forests. The subsequent search operation led to the discovery of Hansda's body along with a firearm. An SLR rifle, explosives, and other arms were recovered from the encounter site.

Superintendent of Police Paras Rana confirmed the identity of the slain Maoist as Amit Hasda, alias Aaptan. Following the gunfight, security forces initiated a large-scale search operation in the forest area to locate other Maoist hideouts. Investigations are currently in progress, and further updates are anticipated.

This incident follows a recent clash in Palamu district between the police and Maoists of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC). The clash took place in the Kedal forest under Manatu police station on September 3, resulting in casualties on both sides. Two police personnel lost their lives, and three others were injured. Operations are still underway in the region to apprehend TSPC zonal commander Shashikant Ganjhu and his associates.

Earlier in May 2025, another Maoist, Manish Yadav, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, was killed in Latehar district during an encounter with security forces. Another Maoist, Kundan Kherwar, was also arrested during the operation.