Ranchi, Sept.1: Four members of the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) were killed in two different incidents in the state today.
While two were killed in a police encounter in the forests of Surang in Gumla district, the other two — Narayan Oroan (32) and Bandhnu Oraon (36) — were stoned to death by some youths of Patlo village in Senha of Lohardaga district for attacking the headmaster of a local school. An FIR has been lodged against 100 unidentified persons with the Senha police in the second case.
According to sources, four PLFI members came to meet the headmaster, Rakesh Kumar Singh, at the school around 2pm. They demanded Rs 1 lakh levy from Singh. When the latter refused to pay, the four started beating him up.
A student, who witnessed the assault, informed a group of youths, who had gathered near the school for Karma celebrations. The youths rushed inside the school. Sensing trouble, two assailants escaped while Narayan and Bandhnu were thrashed. Lohardaga superintendent of police Subodh Prasad said: “The youths hurled bricks kept for construction of the school building at the two men. The duo died on the spot.”
Police have come to know about three cases registered under the criminal law amendment act against Narayan and two cases against Bandhnu.
This is not the first time that villagers have taken on extremists in Lohardaga district. “Last month, a PLFI member, Sanjay Oraon, was lynched in a similar way in the same locality,” a police officer said.
In the other incident, the slain rebels have been identified as Benjamin Baghwar (27) and Augustus Baghwar (28). They were killed in an hour-long encounter with the police in Gumla, about 100km from the state capital. Superintendent of police Upendra Kumar said three others managed to flee. A DBBL gun and a country-made gun were recovered from the spot, police sources said.
Heavy exchange of fire also took place between the police and Naxalites at Kalrabera forest in Ghatshila sub-division this morning when police and para-military forces were patrolling .
