Ranchi, Sep 21 (IANS) : The brother of slain Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) chief Brijesh Ganjhu has questioned the killing of his brother in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. He alleged that the operation was fake and demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident.
Ganesh Ganjhu, former MLA from Simaria and brother of Brijesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh Bhokta, on Monday claimed that the Maoist leader was picked up from Jharkhand’s Chatra district and later taken to Uttar Pradesh, where he was killed as part of a conspiracy.
He urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to order an impartial CBI probe into the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), Brajesh Ganjhu was killed in an encounter in Varanasi on Sunday morning. He carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh by the Jharkhand government and an additional Rs 5 lakh by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The body of the slain extremist reached his native village, Luttu Sohawan, under Lawalong police station limits in Chatra district on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Ganesh Ganjhu questioned the police version of the encounter. He raised doubts over the claim that Brajesh, who was allegedly riding a motorcycle when intercepted by police in Varanasi’s Ramnagar area, opened fire on the security team.
“If he was riding the motorcycle, how could he fire from two pistols simultaneously?” he asked, demanding an independent inquiry into the incident.
Police, however, have maintained that Brajesh fired at the team during the operation and was injured in retaliatory action. He later succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead by doctors at a hospital.
The former legislator also levelled serious allegations against the Jharkhand Police, claiming that his brother was first used in operations against Maoists and was later eliminated. He warned of a phased agitation if the government failed to act on the demand for an investigation.
Ganesh Ganjhu further described his brother as an active participant in social welfare activities. He said Brajesh had been an elected panchayat representative since 2010 and had worked extensively for the poor, helping several underprivileged families, including supporting the marriages of girls from economically weaker sections.
He also claimed that Brajesh had established the Gopal Singh Bhokta Inter College in Lawalong.
The former MLA said that tackling Naxalism requires addressing its underlying causes and socio-economic factors rather than relying solely on security operations.
