Four hardcore women ultras were gunned down by a joint team of security forces in an encounter which took place in insurgency-hit Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, police said.
Following a tip-off about presence of a senior Maoist leader along with a group of rebels in an area close to Sukma-Dantewada district border, a joint team of Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and District Reserve Group (DRG) launched an operation, said Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) Kamlochan Kashyap.
Sensing the presence of security personnel performing the task of cordoning Nagalguda hill, insurgents opened indiscriminate firing following which retaliatory action was launched by the joint security team, he said.
While undertaking search in the areas after the encounter which lasted for over an hour, security personnel have recovered bodies of four women Maoists, said Kashyap said, elaborating that firearms, live cartridges and daily use items were recovered from the spot.
“The slain Maoists were identified as Ramme, Masse, Sanni and Pande. The member of Malangir Area Committee Ramme was carrying cash reward of `5 lakh while others were working as members of Malangir local Operation Squad (lOS) and the State government had declared reward of `1 lakh each on their head,” the officer said.
He further informed that DVC member Aaytu has also suffered multiple bullet injuries in the encounter but managed to flee the spot. Security personnel have launched a manhunt to nab Aaytu.
Notably, Aaytu is DVC member of banned organization’s Darbha Division and was involved in several incidents like attack on Congress’s party’s 'Parivartan Yatra' convoy in Jheeram valley in Bastar district leaving 31 people dead which included former Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) Chief Nand Kumar Patel, son Dinesh Patel, former leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union Minister Vidyacharan Shukla, former MlA Uday Mudliyar and others.