Suspected Maoist allegedly involved in railway track IED blast killed in police encounter in Assam

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Kokrajhar police in Assam have killed a suspected Maoist, allegedly involved in a recent IED blast on a railway track in the state, in an ncounter in Kokrajhar, according to officials cited by news agency PTI.

Addressing a press conference, Kokrajhar SP Pushpraj Singh said the encounter took place during an operation in Nadanguri  in Kokrajhar district of Assam, which was launched to trace militants behind the blast on Thursday.

"We got information that a few militants were hiding in the area. When police reached the spot, they opened fire. When our personnel retaliated, they fled. Upon searching the place, we found one injured militant, who was taken to hospital. He was subsequently declared dead," Singh said.

From the encounter location, one pistol, two grenades, a voter card and an Aadhaar card were recovered, the SP said.

The deceased has been identified as Apil Murmu alias Rohit Murmu (40), allegedly linked to multiple insurgent activities across Assam and Jharkhand, he said.

"A police team from Jharkhand had recently arrived in Kokrajhar as part of a joint operation to apprehend him. He was reportedly active in violent activities since 2015 and maintained dual residency in Assam and Jharkhand," Singh said.

The deceased was allegedly involved in a train blast in Jharkhand in October 2024, he said.

"The blast on the rail track in Kokrajhar was also carried out in a similar manner. We suspect his involvement in the Kokrajhar blast, too," Singh said.

On Thursday, railway services across Lower Assam and parts of north Bengal were disrupted, after unidentified miscreants detonated a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) on a railway track in Kokrajhar district.

Investigations revealed that the slain militant was known as Rohit Murmu in Jharkhand and as Apil Murmu in Assam's Kachugaon Grahampur area, the SP said.

"Murmu was formerly associated with the NSLA insurgent outfit. After the group’s surrender, he fled to Jharkhand, formed a new outfit and became its commander. He later forged links with Maoist groups, expanding his network of extremist operations," the police officer said.

He said the operation in the region is ongoing to track Murmu’s associates and dismantle the terror network.

"We believe around 10 militants were present at the site of the encounter," Singh added.