2 Naxalites Gunned Down In Separate Encounters In Jharkhand & Chhattisgarh

Hyderabad: A Maoist carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh on his head was one of two killed in two separate anti-Naxalite operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on Sunday, officials said.

According to police, gunfire broke out between security forces and Naxalites during a search operation in the forests of Kake Korma in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh today, in which a Maoist carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh was killed. Weapons and a BGL launcher were also recovered from the spot.

During the anti-Naxal operation, the security forces also arrested seven Naxalites, including those carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh from the Basaguda and Modakpal police station limits. Explosives, electric wire, cordex wire, safety fuse, power source battery, land digging tools, and anti-government propaganda material of the banned Maoist organisation were recovered from the arrested Maoists.

A Maoist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Palamu district on Sunday morning, police said. An encounter broke out in a forest area on the border of Manatu and Tarhasi police stations' jurisdiction this morning, and after the operation, the body of a red rebel and a rifle were recovered from there, said Jharkhand Police IG (operations) and spokesperson Michael Raj.

According to SP Rishma Rameshan, “a large-scale search operation has been launched to capture Commander Shashikant, who carries a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Cobra, Jaguar, and other security forces have been deployed for the mission. As the security team entered the forests of Manatu during the operation, TSPC Naxalites opened fire, prompting retaliatory firing by the forces.

This marks the biggest operation against the TSPC so far, involving more than 200 personnel. The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.

Senior Maoist Leader Surrenders

Meanwhile, senior Maoist leader and CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Pothula Padmavati alias Sujatha surrendered before the Telangana police in Hyderabad on Saturday. Sujatha, who had been underground for the last 43 years, had served as in charge of 'Janathana Sarkar', the 'Revolutionary People’s Committees' of Maoist bases under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (Chhattisgarh), according to a police release.

Terming her surrender as a significant development, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range in Chhattisgarh, Sundarraj P, said it was the direct result of relentless and aggressive operations launched by the Bastar police in close coordination with Central Armed Police Forces, intelligence agencies, and security units across interstate border areas.

"Sujatha's decision to surrender reflects the deep crisis of confidence that the Maoist ranks are facing in recent times," he said. She was carrying a reward of Rs 40 lakh on her head in Chhattisgarh and was wanted in more than 72 cases registered across various districts in Bastar Range, he added.

The joint efforts by security forces have dealt major blows to Maoist formations and disrupted their command structure in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected regions, he added. In recent months, the Maoists have suffered successive setbacks in the Bastar range and other LWE-affected districts of Chhattisgarh, including the neutralisation of senior leaders, large recoveries of weapons and explosives, and the dismantling of multiple hideouts in their erstwhile strongholds, he said.

These sustained operations have denied them space to regroup or expand, forcing even their top leadership to lose confidence in the outfit's future, he added. Sundarraj appealed to all remaining cadres and leaders of the banned outfit to lay down arms and join the mainstream so that a secure and prosperous future can be built for the people of Bastar and beyond.

Moreover, Maoist cadres and their leadership don't have any other option except to shun violence and join the mainstream, he added. So far this year, 244 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh, the most notable being the killing of Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70), the general secretary and top-most operative of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), and three central committee members Modem Balakrishna, Chalpathi, and Gautam alias Sudhakar.

While a central committee member, Prayag Manjhi alias Vivek, was killed in Jharkhand, another CC member, Uday alias Gajarla Ravi, was eliminated in Andhra Pradesh this year, the police said.

Read more:

1. Change Of Guard In Maoist Leadership In Chhattisgarh
2. Naxalite Carrying Rs 10 Lakh Bounty Killed In Encounter In Jharkhand’s Chaibasa