<p> In a major strike, a superintendent of police and five policemen were killed Tuesday by Maoists in a forested stretch of Jharkhand while returning after an official meeting, police said.<br /><br />Amarjit Balihar, the superintendent at Pakur, died with his colleagues after coming under a hail of gun fire in Dumka district, Jharkhand Director General of Police Rajiv Kumra told IANS.<br /><br />Three other policemen were injured in the well-planned and audacious attack.<br /><br />This was Balihar's first posting as superintendent in any district. He had taken charge in May. According to police sources, Balihar is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.<br />According to Kumar, the deputy inspector general of police of Dumka range had called a meeting of senior officers in Dumka, around 350 km from Ranchi. <br /><br />"Balihar was ambushed when he was returning to his office," Kumar said.</p>.<p><br />The attack took place in a jungle stretch between Kathikund and Gopikanar in Dumka as Balihar's convoy passed. <br /><br />Around 40 to 50 guerrillas who had concealed themselves initially triggered a land mine and later fired at random at the police convoy in a classic Maoist style. <br /><br />Balihar, a 2003 Indian Police Service batch officer, died instantly. <br /><br />Director general Kumar rushed to Dumka by helicopter to take stock of the situation. Two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been sent to Dumka. <br /><br />Police said a massive combing operation had been launched in an attempt to catch the Maoists.<br /><br />Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmad and political parties condemned the attack and expressed their condolences to the affected families.<br /><br />Police sources say the Maoists had been trying to execute a major operation like the one in Chhattisgarh in which many Congress leaders were killed.<br /><br />Police officials say Maoists in Jharkhand are frustrated as they have been booted out of the Saranda forest area and eight of them were killed in Latehar district last week.<br />This is not the first time such a high-ranking official has been killed by the insurgents. <br />In 2000, just before Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar, Lohardagga's Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar was killed by the Maoists.<br /><br />The Communist Party of India-Maoist is active in 18 of Jharkhand's 24 districts.<br /></p>
<p> In a major strike, a superintendent of police and five policemen were killed Tuesday by Maoists in a forested stretch of Jharkhand while returning after an official meeting, police said.<br /><br />Amarjit Balihar, the superintendent at Pakur, died with his colleagues after coming under a hail of gun fire in Dumka district, Jharkhand Director General of Police Rajiv Kumra told IANS.<br /><br />Three other policemen were injured in the well-planned and audacious attack.<br /><br />This was Balihar's first posting as superintendent in any district. He had taken charge in May. According to police sources, Balihar is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.<br />According to Kumar, the deputy inspector general of police of Dumka range had called a meeting of senior officers in Dumka, around 350 km from Ranchi. <br /><br />"Balihar was ambushed when he was returning to his office," Kumar said.</p>.<p><br />The attack took place in a jungle stretch between Kathikund and Gopikanar in Dumka as Balihar's convoy passed. <br /><br />Around 40 to 50 guerrillas who had concealed themselves initially triggered a land mine and later fired at random at the police convoy in a classic Maoist style. <br /><br />Balihar, a 2003 Indian Police Service batch officer, died instantly. <br /><br />Director general Kumar rushed to Dumka by helicopter to take stock of the situation. Two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been sent to Dumka. <br /><br />Police said a massive combing operation had been launched in an attempt to catch the Maoists.<br /><br />Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmad and political parties condemned the attack and expressed their condolences to the affected families.<br /><br />Police sources say the Maoists had been trying to execute a major operation like the one in Chhattisgarh in which many Congress leaders were killed.<br /><br />Police officials say Maoists in Jharkhand are frustrated as they have been booted out of the Saranda forest area and eight of them were killed in Latehar district last week.<br />This is not the first time such a high-ranking official has been killed by the insurgents. <br />In 2000, just before Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar, Lohardagga's Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar was killed by the Maoists.<br /><br />The Communist Party of India-Maoist is active in 18 of Jharkhand's 24 districts.<br /></p>