Chhattisgarh: 8 slain Maoists include Area Committee, Militia Company members

The Chhattisgarh police said that the death toll in Saturday’s encounter in Bijapur is likely to go up and the search is in progress

RAIPUR: An Area Committee Member (ACM) of the banned CPI (Maoist) and members of its Militia Company were among the eight Maoists killed in Saturday’s encounter between them and security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said on Sunday. The death toll is likely to go up and the search is in progress, they added.

A Maoist camp was destroyed and one INSAS rifle, two 12-bore guns and one BGL launcher were recovered from the encounter site along with weapons and a large cache of Maoist materials. (ANI Pic Service)

Officials said that a Maoist camp was destroyed during the encounter and security forces have recovered one INSAS rifle, two 12-bore guns, one BGL launcher, along with weapons and a large cache of Maoist materials from the encounter site.

“The Maoists killed in the encounter belonged to the Gangloor Area Committee of the West Bastar Division, including ACM and Militia Company members,” said the inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P.

The IG said that the slain Maoists included Kamlesh Neelkanth (24), ACM, Gangloor Area Committee, West Bastar Division, who had a reward of ₹5 lakh, Tati Kamlu, LOS Member of Gangloor, carrying ₹3 lakh reward, Mangal Tati, LOS Member of Gangloor and Lachhu Potam, Militia Commander.

The others killed were also members of the West Bastar Division and were members of different units of Maoist division.

Bijapur superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Kumar Yadav said that intelligence was received about the presence of armed Maoists, including DVCM Dinesh Modiyam, PLGA Company number- 02, PLGA Platoon, and Militia Company, in the Torka-Korcholi forests under Gangloor Police Station in West Bastar Division.

“Acting on this, a joint team of DRG Bijapur, STF, COBRA 202, and CRPF 222 Battalion launched an anti-Maoist operation, resulting in the elimination of eight hardcore Maoists from the Gangloor Area Committee and Militia Company. A significant cache of weapons, explosives, and Maoist materials was recovered from the site,” the SP said.

“The Maoists have no other option left but to surrender. We urge Maoists to immediately quit violence and join the mainstream society, or else they must be prepared to face severe consequences,” the IG added.