Five Maoists including two women were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, police said.
One of the encounters took place on the borders of Chhattisgarh and Telangana, in which four Maoists were killed. One of the deceased is suspected to be Sudhakar, a senior leader of the Telangana State Committee of Communist Party of India (Maoist), though the identity is yet to be confirmed.
“The identification process is still on and likely to take some time,” Inspector General of Police of Bastar range, Sundarraj P. told THE WEEK.
The IG said that on the basis of intelligence inputs about the presence of 40-50 armed Maoists on the borders of Telangana (under Perur police station) and Chhattisgarh (under Ilmidi and Usoor police stations in Bijapur district), a joint team of security forces including Greyhounds of Telangana, district reserve police (DRG) of Chhattisgarh and Central Reserve Police Force was sent out to the area.
There was also intelligence about the presence of divisional committee member Sudhakar and area committee member Venkatapuram among the Maoists.
Early on Tuesday morning, the forces confronted the Maoists between villages Semaldodi of Chhattisgarh and Penugolu of Telangana and an encounter ensued. “Later, upon searching the area, four bodies including that of a woman Maoist were recovered,” said a note from the office of Bastar IG.
A commando of Greyhounds was injured in the encounter and was airlifted to Warangal Hospital. Search operation is continuing in the area, said the note.
The other encounter was reported from Marjum-Pratapgiri forests on the border of districts Dantewada (under Katekalyan police station) and Sukma (under Tongpal police station) in South Bastar, wherein the body of a woman Maoist was recovered later. She has been prima facie identified as Katekalyan area committee member Munni, the office of IG said.
The Chhattisgarh police had intelligence about movement of 20-25 armed Maoists including Darbha DVCM Mangtu, Katekalyan ACMs Mahangu, Munni, Pradeep and Somdu in the settlements comprising Morenga, Junapani, Jaimer Pahadi, Nandel Dongri, Marujum and Dhurwapara in Tahakwara area on the borders of three districts—Bastar, Dantewada and Sukma.
The DRG forces, who were sent for anti-Naxal operation on Monday, engaged the Maoists in an encounter on Tuesday morning, the IG office said.
