A Maoist Deputy Commander was gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in a forested patch of insurgency-hit Bastar district, police said here on Monday.
“The gun battle took place in the morning hours between a joint team of security personnel and ultras in Modenar forest under Darbha police station limits,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdalpur RN Dash said.
A joint squad of District Reserve Group (DRG), District Force and Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) were carrying out the search operation in Pakhnar police outpost area. While they were cordoning off Modenar forests, a group of armed Naxals Maoist opened indiscriminate firing, the SP said.
The police force also retaliated which made Naxals run away in deep jungle area. While searching the spot body of a man clad in Naxal uniform along with a country made SBMl (single barrel muzzle loading) gun, tiffin bomb, pamphlets, bags, and other articles of daily use were recovered from the spot, he added.
The killed ultra has been identified as Sukhram who was active as Deputy Commander of Katekalyan lOS, the SP said.
At least 18 FIRs were registered against Sukhram in 2014,2015 and 2016 in Bastar district. Of them, four cases are related to causing damage to railway tracks and station including the recent sabotage of Kumarsadra railway station on May 13, he said.