LUCKNOW/VARANASI, Sept. 21 -- Top Maoist, Brijesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh Bhokta, wanted in at least 44 cases of murder, extortion and under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was shot dead in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Varanasi early on Sunday, police officers said. Ganjhu was the commander of the Jharkhand-based Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a banned outfit, and carried a combined reward of Rs.30 lakh on his arrest by the Jharkhand government as well as the NIA. Ganjhu was a resident of Lootu village in Chatra district of Jharkhand. A release by the Uttar Pradesh Police said the ATS had received information about Ganjhu's movement towards Mughalsarai (adjoining Varanasi). He was travelling on a motorcycle with an associate from Tengra Mod towards Mughalsarai via Ramnagar when an ATS team tried to intercept him near Lanka Maidan under Ramnagar police station. As soon as he spotted the police, Ganjhu abandoned the motorcycle and opened fire at the police team while trying to evade arrest, the police said. Deputy superintendent of police Vipin Rai and head constable Nitendra Krishna of the ATS were hit by the Ganjhu's bullets, but their bulletproof jackets protected them. During the retaliatory firing, Ganjhu was shot and was subsequently taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, it said. His associate, however, managed to escape and has not been identified yet, it added. "Acting on an informant's tip-off, police attempted to intercept and arrest him. Instead of stopping, he jumped off the vehicle and opened fire on cops. In the ensuing crossfire, he was shot," Rai said....