Two Maoists, including a “high value target” carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Monday.
The other cadre was also wanted in connection with a number of Maoist incidents.
The gunfight took place at around 3 am in a forest surrounding Kadme village when the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Border Security Force were on an anti-Maoist drive, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.
The operation was launched on Sunday.
When the DRG patrol was near Kadme, some Maoists fire at it following which a gun battle broke out in the forest, the official said.
After the guns fell silent, bodies of two Maoists were recovered.
A 315 bore rifle, a country made pistol and huge cache of ammunition along with items of daily use were also recovered from the spot, added the official.
The dead Maoists were identified as Darshan Padda (32) of the North Bastar Division Committee and Secretary of the Partapur area committee of Maoists, and Jagesh Salaam (23), commander of a small action team in the same division, the official said.
Padda had been active for several years in north Bastar area and was wanted in 39 Maoist related incidents. He recently became a Divisional Committee member. He had a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head.
Describing Padda’s killing as a huge success for security forces, the official expressed hope that Maoist activities would come down in the area to a great extent after his death. Salaam was also instrumental in executing several Maoist incidents in the area and also carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, the official said.