A hardcore naxal carrying reward of Rs5 lakh on his head was killed while another was arrested following an encounter between Maoists and police force in a forested patch of insurgency-hit Kondagaon district, police said here on Friday.
The killed left wing extremist was identified as Phool Singh Commander of Barda dalam of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist). He was killed in a gun battle between Maoists and police personnel in forests under Ghanora police station limits, Superintendent of Police Kondagaon, Abhishek Meena informed.
Police had received intelligence inputs about presence of Naxals in the jungles of Ghanora. Accordingly a team of police personnel swung into action and reached the spot, the SP informed. Sensing presence of police team armed rebels opened indiscriminate fire on them following which police retaliated, leaving a naxal commander dead. After gun battle that lasted for around two hours, ultras fled into the jungle.
However, one of them was arrested while trying to flee from the spot, the SP said. The arrested ultra was identified as Commander of Antagarh dalam Rakesh. later security forces recovered body of the naxal along with two hand grenades, naxal literature, documents, diaries, medicines and commodities of daily use from the spot, the SP added.
State Government had declared reward of Rs5 lakh on the head of killed ultra Phool Singh and Rakesh also carried reward of Rs5 lakh on his arrest, the SP informed. We are interrogation the arrested naxal who could provide police information that would be helpful for police in cracking Maoist presence in the region, the SP mentioned.