RAIPUR: A Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces near the hilly forested terrain of Motipani in Gariaband district, about 170 km east of Raipur, police said on Saturday.
The gunfight took place on Friday late evening under the Jugad police station limits when a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and E-30, a unit of the district police, was out on an anti-naxal operation.
Nikhil Rakhecha, Gariaband district police chief, said, “Based on inputs about the presence of Maoists in the forest region of Motipani, a joint team launched a search operation. When the forces reached the hilly terrain close to Motipani, the Maoists started firing indiscriminately, resulting in an exchange of fire.
The gun battle lasted around half an hour.” no security personnel was hurt in the gunfire. The body of the slain cadre — identified as a divisional committee member named Yogesh, who carried a Rs 8-lakh bounty — was found after the encounter. notably, over 145 naxalites have been gunned down in the state so far this year.