A Maoist leader with Rs 4 lakh reward on his head was killed in a gun battle with police in Malkangiri district, said Inspector General of Police (South-Western range) Yashwant Jethwa on Thursday.
The Maoist leader identified as Erra Madkami, alias Sundhi Dalai, a member of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), was working as a member of the Gumma area committee.
Madkami’s body was found during a search at the site after the gunfight ended, Jethwa said. He was one of the most wanted Maoists, he added. The IG said the security personnel also recovered a stein gun, a 303 rifle, a 315 rifle, ammunition, kit bags and Maoist literature from the forest.
According to reports, when five battalions of BSF, DVF, SOG and Odisha Police led by Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra and Koraput SP Charan Singh Mina were busy in Operation Rukmani, an anti-Maoist operation to nab Maoist leader Rukmani near Daudaput village in the Madkapadar area of Malkangiri district, some Maoists suddenly opened fire at the security personnel in order to disperse the force from their area.
But the security personnel retaliated within a few minutes and the Maoists couldn’t counter the force in the heavy exchange of fire and fled from the spot.
Notably on September 3, an exchange of fire had taken place between Maoists and police in the Majhiguda area under the Boipariguda police limit in Koraput district. Maoist leader Rukmani along with her 15 colleagues had fled from the spot.