India, Sept. 7 -- A zonal commander of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Amit Hansda alias Upton, with a bounty of Rs.10 lakh, was killed in an encounter in the Relaparal forest in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, police said on Sunday.

"A joint team of district police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA)-209, and Jharkhand Jaguar, headed by the additional superintendent of police (operation) Paras Rana, started a search operation around 6.30 am on Sunday morning after a tip-off," West Singhbhum superintendent of police (SP) Rakesh Ranjan told HT on Sunday.

"The Maoists suddenly started firing on the security forces around 8 am. The forces retaliated with heavy firing, following ...