CRPF CoBRA jawan from Assam killed in Jharkhand Maoist encounter

Guwahati: A CRPF jawan from Assam’s Kokrajhar district died during a fierce gunfight with Maoists in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Wednesday morning.

Parneswar Koch, a member of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA battalion, lost his life in an encounter at around 5.30 am in the Birhordera forest, located under the jurisdiction of Gomia police station.

Police officials reported that security forces killed two Maoists during the operation.

Inspector General of the Bokaro Zone, Kranthi Kumar Gadidesi, confirmed the casualties and said that the search operation was ongoing in the area.

Bokaro Superintendent of Police Harvinder Singh added that authorities were still working to identify the slain Maoists.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his condolences and praised Koch as a “braveheart” who sacrificed his life in service to the nation. Sarma wrote on social media, “The people of Assam salute his sacrifice and offer our thoughts and prayers to his family. We will always support them, and this sacrifice will not go in vain as our forces intensify their efforts to eliminate Naxalism from the face of the earth.”

The encounter formed part of the intensified anti-Naxal operations under Operation Sankalp, a large-scale crackdown led by the Centre on left-wing extremism. The mission involves over 24,000 security personnel from CRPF, CoBRA, state police forces, and specialized units, aiming to eradicate Naxal activity by March 31, 2026.

Koch’s untimely death has left his hometown of Kokrajhar in deep mourning.