SAP man, Maoist killed in encounter

Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Jan 22 (PTI) A Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) personnel and a suspected Naxalite were killed in a fierce encounter between the police and CPI(Maoist) guerrillas in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district during the 24-hour bandh called by the ultra-left organisation today.
Om Prakash Tiwari, a constable of SAP created for counter-Naxal operations and campaign against organised crimes, and a suspected naxalite were killed in the encounter at Chaturpatti village under Paroo police station, Additional Director General of Police (Tirhut range) Krishna Chaudhary told PTI.

Chaudhary said there could be more casualties among the naxalites as police had found blood trails in a mustard field, indicating that injured or slain Maoists had been dragged during retreat.

Though Chaudhary said the encounter which broke out in the evening was on till late in the night, ADG (headquarters) Neelmani said in Patna that the it was over and the police have begun a combing operation.

Chaudhary said Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police Sudhanshu Kumar along with a strong contingent was hot on the trail of the naxalites and intermittent firing was still on.

The encounter began when police raided Chaturpatti village after receiving information that Naxalites in large numbers had assembled there and were planning an offensive.

The police team was fired upon by the Maoists from some houses in the village, drawing retaliatory fire by the police.

The village was cordoned off and, in a bid to break the siege, the naxalites engaged the police in a fierce encounter.

The Maoists called a 24-hour bandh today in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa to protest price rise and alleged police atrocities on their comrades. PTI