A Maoist Jan-militia commander carrying a cash reward of Rs1 lakh on his head, was gunned down in an encounter with police at a forested patch of Naxal-violence hit Sukma district, police said here on Saturday.
A joint team of Special Task Force (STF) and DRG was carrying out a search operation in Kistaram police station limits. They had a face-off with armed Naxals deep in the jungle about 2 km away from the police station, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sukma, Santosh Singh said.
“Armed guerrillas opened indiscriminate fire on the police party to which security personnel launched a counterstrike swiftly. The gunbattle lasted for about an hour and finding them on back-foot Naxals fled away into core jungle area,” he said.
later on, while searching the area police recovered the body of a man clad in Naxal uniform. Country made gun, codex wire, pittoo and naxal literature were also found at the spot, the SP added.
According to police, the deceased was identified as Sodi Pandu of Kumudtong Village. He was Jantana Sarkar member, Naxal Revolutionary People’s Committee (RPC) member of Sindurguda region and Militia Commander of Kumudtong village.
He was wanted in connection with IED blast which had occurred at Dharmapenta last year and had claimed the life of a CAF jawan. Police was searching him for his involvement in attacking a police camp at Velkanguda, ASP mentioned.
Also, he was involved in damaging and planting IEDs under roads at several locations, ASP Singh pointed.