5 Maoists Killed in Chhattisgarh Encounter, Bounty of Rs 28 Lakh

Raipur: Five Maoists killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region last week were senior cres, carrying a total bounty of Rs 28 lakh, a senior police official said on Monday.

On Saturday, police reported that five Maoists, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security forces during a joint anti-maoist operation in Abhujma area, near Narayanpur-Kanker inter-district border. 

Among deceased, woman cre Vanoja Micha Karam, a divisional committee member, h a bounty of Rs 8 lakh, according to Kanker Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela.

or deceased included Suresh Gavde, an area committee member, along with party members Santosh Kurchami, Manish Pda, and Punita. According to police, each of m h a bounty of Rs 5 lakh.

official said security personnel recovered an SLR (Self-Loing Rifle), an INSAS rifle, a 12-bore rifle and a .315-bore rifle, a barrel grene launcher (BGL) and a huge cache of explosives items from encounter site.

While returning from operation, security forces on Sunday recovered two IEDs planted by Maoist-s and neutralised m, he said.

According to police, this year alone, bodies of 197 Naxalites have been recovered in separate encounters in Bastar division, comprising Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewa and Sukma districts.

(with agency inputs)