nA Naxal, allegedly involved in the killings of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four policemen in April, was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said on Friday.
He was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head. “The encounter occurred around 10 am in the forest of Misse Dabba in the Tongpal police station area of Sukma district when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Dantewada was carrying out an anti-Naxal operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.
Security forces had launched the operation two days ago along the border of Dantewada and Sukma districts.
When the DRG team was cordoning off Misse Dabba, located around 450km from the state capital Raipur, the encounter happened, he said. After a brief exchange of fire, the Naxals escaped SP Pallava added.
During a search at the site, the body of a Naxal , identified as Hurra, a member of the Katekalyan Area Committee of Maoists, was recovered, along with a .303 rifle, he said.
“Blood stains were found at the spot indicating some more ultras might have been injured or killed in the gun-battle,” he added.
Hurra, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was wanted for the killings of Mandavi and four security personnel, the SP said.
All five were killed when the vehicle in which they were travelling was blown up by Naxals using an improvised explosive device near Shyamgiri village in Dantewada district on April 9 this year.