Naxalite with Rs 8 lakh bounty killed in Chhattisgarh encounter

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Kanker, Feb 3 (PTI) A Naxalite carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, police said on Monday.

The latest encounter took the toll of Maoists gunned down in the state since January this year to 50.

The gunfight broke out in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts on Sunday afternoon during an anti-Naxal operation, Kanker Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Indira Kalyan Elesela said.

The operation was launched by a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF) based on inputs about the presence of cadres belonging to the North Bastar and Maad divisions of Maoists in that area, he said.

Police recovered the body of a Naxalite, identified as Jatin Mandavi, and a Self Loading Rifle (SLR) from the spot after the encounter, the police officer said.

Elesela said Mandavi was a member of military company no. 5 of Maoists who carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head.

The latest encounter comes a day after eight Naxalites were killed by security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, taking the Naxal toll killed in separate encounters in the state to 50 since January this year.

A maximum of 34 Maoists were killed in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Kanker.

On January 20-21, 16 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Gariaband district under the Raipur division.

Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in Chhattisgarh, police said. PTI Cor TKP NSK