TPC chief Brijesh Ganjhu killed in Varanasi ATS encounter

Brijesh Ganjhu, the chief of the banned Jharkhand-based Maoist outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee, was killed on Sunday morning in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad in Varanasi, police confirmed. Ganjhu, also known as Gopal Singh Bhokta, carried a combined reward of Rs 30 lakh, with Rs 25 lakh announced by the Jharkhand government and Rs 5 lakh by the National Investigation Agency for information leading to his arrest. According to the UP ATS, the operation took place around 5 a.m. at Lanka Maidan near Tengra More in the Ramnagar police station area of Varanasi. Officials said the squad received intelligence inputs that Ganjhu was in Varanasi and would be travelling by motorcycle with an associate from Tengra Mor towards Mughalsarai via Ramnagar. Acting on the tip-off, the team laid a trap and signalled the motorcycle to stop. Police said that instead of stopping, Ganjhu got off the vehicle and opened fire on the personnel, triggering a gun battle in which he was wounded in retaliatory firing. He was rushed to a district hospital, where doctors declared him dead.