Maoist gunned down in MP's Mandla district

Mandla (MP), Mar 10 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh police's anti-Naxal Hawk Force gunned down a Maoist and captured two of his accomplices after an encounter in tribal-dominated Mandla district of the state, an official said on Monday.

Around 205 rounds were fired during the gun-battle -- 125 from the Naxals and 80 by the Hawk Force - which took place in a thickly forested area on Sunday, he informed.

A .315 bore firearm was recovered from the outlaws, the official added.

On March 8, intelligence reports suggested the presence of Naxalites in the Kanha National Park area under Khatiya police station limits of the district, Balaghat Zone Inspector General of Police Sanjay Singh told reporters.

Acting on the inputs, the Hawk Force launched a search operation and set up an ambush at a place on Sunday evening. Upon seeing a group of Naxals, some in plainclothes and others in uniform, police asked them to surrender, but they refused and instead opened fire, he said.

In defence, police fired at the Naxals, resulting in the death of one of them, said the IPS officer.

The body has been sent for post-mortem to Bamni Hospital in Mandla, Kumar said, adding efforts were on to identify him.

His accomplices, Ashok Kumar Valko and Santosh Kumar Dhurve, both aged 28 and local residents, were arrested, the IG said.

He said Hawk Force and Central Reserve Police Force personnel were combing the area.

The slain Maoist and his associates were members of the rebel division of the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Mandla (MP) and the Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary of Kawardha district in adjoining Chhattisgarh -- also known as the KB division, said police.

The KB division comes under the MCC (Maharashtra, MP and Chhattisgarh) zone of Naxals, police said. PTI COR LAL RSY