Varanasi, Sept. 20 -- Brijesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh Bhokta, a senior Naxal leader of the banned Jharkhand-based outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) carrying a reward of Rs 30 lakh, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh ATS in Varanasi on Sunday morning, police said.

"We have received information from the IG (STF) that Brijesh Ganjhu, alias Gopal Singh, was neutralized in an encounter in Varanasi this morning," Narendra Singh, IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson, said.

Ganjhu was the chief of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a banned organisation in Jharkhand, and was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in several cases, according to police.

A reward of Rs 25 lakh had been announced by...