Two CRPF jawans have been killed during an encounter between the Maoists and the police at Laxmantola in Giridih district, a senior police officer said on Friday.
The Maoists, who were observing a 24-hour north Chhotanagpur bandh yesterday, fired at a police patrolling team, last night at Laxmantola, superintendent of police, M L Meena, said.
In the ensuing encounter that lasted over two hours, the two jawans, identified as Sriram Singh of Uttarakhand and Vijendra Singh of Haryana, received bullets.
While Sriram Singh died on the spot, Vijendra Singh succumbed to his injuries on way to a hospital in Dhanbad, Meena said.
There was no trace of any casualty on the Naxal side when the police searched the area after the Naxalites retreated, Meena said. The bandh had been imposed in the Chhotanagpur region by the Maoists in protest against the killing of three Naxalites during an encounter in Hazaribag district last week.