Sahdeo Soren, a Central Committee member of CPI (Maoist) carrying a bounty of ₹1 crore, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jharkhand. The gunfight took place during a joint operation by the CoBRA battalion and police in Giridih and Hazaribagh districts. Naxal commanders Raghunath Hembram alias Chanchal and Birsen Ganjhu alias Ramkhelawan were also killed, police confirmed.