MALKANGIRI: In a major breakthrough, the police gunned down a hardcore Maoist Gudda Nageswar Rao alias Chinnabai during a fierce exchange of fire near Ganjabahal village in Kapatuti forest under Chitrakonda police limits in the wee hours of Saturday.
Acting on a tip off, a unit of District Voluntary Force (DVF) from Malkangiri reached a Maoist makeshift camp near Ganjabahal village in Kapatuti forest bordering Andhra Pradesh during the pre dawn hours on Saturday. Seeing the police personnel, rebels including the 38-year-old Nageswar Rao, started firing indiscriminately to which the cops retaliated, superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mahapatra told media persons here.
A fierce encounter between the cops and Maoists which continued for at least for an hour resulted in killing the Maoist leader Chinnabai on the spot, Mahapatra said.
A native of Kundumula village under Pedabailu police limits in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, Nageswar Rao was working as an area committee member with Kalimela Area Committee of CPI (Maoist) Malkangiri Division under the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) since 2008 and carried a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head as announced by the Odisha government, he added.
The rebel leader was involved in the murder of eight villagers including Budu Hantal, Soma Podiami, Suresh Talar, Rama Madhi, Deba Madkami, Ganga Podiami , Bhima Madhi and exchange of fire in Kurub forest in May this year, police said. Huge numbers of Maoist uniforms, literature, ammunition and other materials have also been seized from the encounter site. The DVF personnel are searching the area anticipating that more rebels may have been killed in the encounter. A clear picture will emerge only after the return of the DVF team in the evening, police said.