After months of calm, the conflict between Maoist and the state rang loud in Saranda forest in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Tuesday morning with the exchange of 200 rounds of fire between the CRPF personnel and armed cadres of the banned communist party of India (Maoist).

The encounter continued from 7 am to 10 am near Selai Chowk, on the Manoharpur-Chottanagra road. However, there have been no reports of casualties on either side. The encounter came barely hours after the left extremist laid siege on the Tata–Bilaspur Express at Poseita, nearly 11kilometers away from Manoharpur, late on Monday evening. The paramilitary forces were ambushed while they were patrolling the road on the following morning.

Bomb found on train
On Monday evening after holding the train up from 9.25 pm to 10pm, the Maoist let the train leave after distributing leaflets and sticking posters inside and outside the train. While it was initially believed that the train had been given a safe passage by the Maoist, the CRPF found a bomb planted in the engine of the train during its inspection at Manoharpur railway station. A bomb disposal squad later diffused the bomb near Koina river.

Kiriburu-Manoharur road close for hours
The state police sealed off the road from Manoharpur to Kiriburu, of which a major stretch is the one on which the encounter took place. The road was closed off till 11am, paralyzing the already thin traffic between the two fringes of Saranda.

Maoist bandh
The state police and paramilitary forces have been put on high alert as the Maoist bandh on May 16 came into effect on Tuesday midnight. The rebels have called for the bandh protesting the Operation Greenhunt.    

Villager beheaded by Maoist

Maoist killed 57 year old Ramlal Kayam of Kudaburu village in the Lonjo panchayat in Sonwa alleging that he was a police informer.