In a major success, the police shot dead a Maoist Deputy Commander after a fierce gun battle in a forested patch of Bijapur district, a senior police officer said here on Thursday.
Superintendent of Police, Bijapur, Kl Dhruv informed that a police team comprising District Force (DF) personnel had started on a search operation from the district headquarters on September 30.
The team came under heavy Maoist fire twice in the jungles of Bodla Pusnar village. However, the police personnel returned the fire making the Naxals flee into the jungles, the SP said.
On September 1, police party searching in Munga village of the district had an encounter with the Naxals. Both sides engaged in fierce gun battle and once again the insurgents ran away, he said.
During the operation at different places, the police team were attacked by Naxals who had also placed IED (Improvised Explosive Device) and pressure bombs in different places and a Head Constable of district police Dasrath Nag was injured in one of the blasts during the operation, Dhruv stated.
While Dasrath was injured in the blast, Naxals resumed attack on the police team but had to run away after the force returned fire. later, the injured Head Constable was airlifted to Jagdalpur for treatment, he said.
While searching the area after the gun battle in forests of Munga village, body of a Naxal was found who was identified as Korsa Ayatu (26) resident of Munga Devgudipara village. The deceased was identified as Deputy Commander of CNM (Chetna Natya Mandli) one of the offshoots of banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), the SP said.
Ayatu had joined Naxal cadre in 2005 as a Sangham member and in 2007 he became an active member of Gangalur local Operating Squad (lOS). After working as lOS for three years in 2011 he was made Deputy Commander of CNM. A muzzle gun, backpack and items of daily use were found near the the body.