Security forces in Jharkhand have killed top Maoist commander Sahdeo Soren, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore, along with two other senior rebels in an encounter in Hazaribagh district. Sahdeo Soren was a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in eastern India. The other two killed were Raghunath Hembram, a Special Area Committee member with a Rs 25 lakh bounty, and Ramkhelawan, a Zonal Committee member with a Rs 10 lakh bounty. Jharkhand IG Operations Michaelraj S confirmed that with this operation, all Maoists in the Jhumra and Lugu Pahar areas of Bokaro and the Parasnath area of Giridih have been eliminated, declaring these regions naxal-free. Currently, only one Politburo member and two Central Committee members remain active in Saranda, with no senior Maoist formations left in the state. The security forces also recovered three AK-47 rifles after the encounter. This is considered a major achievement in Jharkhand’s fight against Maoist insurgency.