Bodies of two cops killed in Jharkhand Maoist attack recovered

Bodies of two policemen, killed in a Maoist attack in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, were recovered on Wednesday, an officer said.

Former BJP MLA from Manoharpur, Gurucharan Nayak, had on Tuesday narrowly escaped the attack at Jheelruwa village in Goilkera police station area, but two of his bodyguards lost their lives.

According to Sub-divisional Police Officer of Chakradharpur, Dilip Khalkho, the rebels shot the two bodyguards – identified as constables Shankar Nayak and Thakur Hembram – and slit the throat of one of them before fleeing with their rifles.

Nayak had visited the village to witness a football match.

Khalkho said the two bodies have been sent to Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

A massive search operation has been launched by the security personnel -- comprising district armed police force, CRPF and Jharkhand Jaguar -- to trace the ultras involved in the incident, he said.

Jharkhand Director General of Police Niraj Sinha visited Chaibasa during the day and paid tributes to the two constables. He said the police force has intensified the ongoing operation against extremists. The police announced a compensation of Rs 45 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. The DGP said the attack on former BJP MLA exhibited Moaists' frustration, and described the death of the two constables as ''unfortunate'' and ''irreparable loss''.

He appealed to the extremists to surrender before the security forces and join the mainstream.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Arjun Munda, in a statement, strongly condemned the attack on Nayak and the incident of lynching in Simdega district and said the law and order situation in the state was “pathetic”.

The Jharkhand government is insensitive to the matter, Munda said.

A man was on Tuesday lynched and his body set on fire at a village in Simdega by locals, who accused him of felling a tree illegally to steal wood.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in a tweet on Tuesday, had asked Simdega deputy commissioner to look into the incident of lynching and furnish details of the action taken.