A Maoist couple carrying a total bounty of Rs 9 lakhs on their heads was gunned down on Monday by security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
The gunfight took place at around 6 am near the jungles of Danteshpuram village, Sukma Superintendent of Police Sunil Sharma told The Pioneer.
The District Reserve Guard, Central Reserve Police Force and its Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) launched an anti-Naxalite operation on Sunday night near Danteshpuram village.
The Maoists opened fire, leading to the battle, when one of the patrolling teams was cordoning off the forest, the officer said.
After the skirmish ended, the bodies of two Maoists including a woman were recovered. They were identified as Madkam Erra and his wife Podiyam Bhime.
Madkam, who carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakhs on his head, was the Golapalli Local Squad Organisation (LOS) Commander and Divisional Committee Member of the outlawed Maoist outfit. His wife was a LOS member in the same squad, Sharma said.
They were involved in several Maoist incidents such as arson, killing and attempt to kill for 12-15 years in the district, he said. The police also recovered a rifle, a muzzle loading gun and huge cache of explosives and Maoist literature from the site.