Chhattisgarh: Six of the 8 Naxalites Killed in Narayanpur Encounter Carried Rs 48 Lakh Bounty

Narayanpur: Six of eight Naxalites killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Saturday were senior rank cres and carried cumulative cash rewards of Rs 48 lakh, police said on Sunday.

de Naxalits belonged to Maoists’ PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army) military company . 1 and Ma division supply team formations, y said.

Police on Saturday claimed to have gunned down eight Naxalites during an encounter in forests near Kutul-Farasbeda and Kodtameta vills in district.

“Six of eight killed cres were identified as Sudru, Vargesh, Mamta, Samira, Kosi and Moti, who were active at different capacities in PLGA company .1 of Maoists and carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each on ir hes,” Inspector General of Police, Bastar range Sundarraj P said in a press conference here.

identity of two or Naxalites was yet to be ascertained, he said.

An operation under security forces’ anti-Naxalite ‘Ma Bachao Abhiyan’ was launched late on June 12 after inputs about presence of Maoist cres in Kutul, Farasbeda, Kodtameta and ingpar vills of district, IG said.

Personnel from state police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG) and STF, along with 53rd battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and 135th battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) took part in operation, he said, ding that women commandos also delivered a key role.

Around 7 am on Saturday, armed Maoists opened fire on security personnel in a forest near Kutul-Farasbeda and Kodtameta vills leing to gunbattle. After encounter ended, bodies of eight Naxalites, including four women, cl in ‘uniform’ were recovered from different places, IG said.

Several or Naxalites escaped taking cover of dense forest and hills, he said forces recovered one INSAS rifle, two 303 rifles, three 315 bore rifles, one barrel grene launcher (BGL) and large quantities of explosives, medicines and or daily-use items.

Blood stains spotted at site indicate that several or Naxalites might have been injured or killed in gunfight, he said.

While STF constable, Nitesh Ekka (27), was also killed in encounter, two of his colleagues, Lekhram Netam (28) and Kailash Netam (33), were injured. y have been mitted to a hospital in capital Raipur.

This is second major success of ‘Ma Bachao Abhiyan’ of Narayanpur police within a week and fourth major success in 45 days, he said.

Due to better coordination between local police and central paramilitary force and better strategy, bodies of 131 Naxalites were recovered after encounters across Bastar division, comprising Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewa and Sukma districts, so far this year, he said.

On June 5, six Naxalites were gunned down in an encounter in Narayanpur, while seven were killed on Narayanpur-Bijapur border on May 23.

At least 12 Naxalites were eliminated in an encounter in Bijapur on May 10, and 10 cres, including three women, were neutralised along border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts on April 30.

On April 16, police said, 29 Naxalites were gunned down in a face-off with security forces in Kanker district.

“Abhujma (in Narayanpur district) h been suffering from Naxal violence and fear for 40 years but w natives, tribals, and villrs are imagining it free from violence, fear and Naxalism. Successful anti-Naxal campaigns have been speeding up development,” IG said.

Earlier in day, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, his deputy Vijay Sharma and many ors paid tribute to martyred jawan in Raipur. Later, his mortal remains were taken to his home district Jashpur in a helicopter where his last rites were performed in evening, police said. 

(Except for heline, this story has t been edited by Republic staff and has been published from a syndicated feed)