HYDERABAD: The 'commander' of an armed underground Naxal group was killed in an alleged encounter with the police in a forest area in Bhadradri-Kothagudem District of Telangana on Wednesday, police said.
The deceased was identified as 40-year old Linganna, state Secretary of the CPI(ML) New Democracy and the "Commander of the Linganna Dalam", the underground group formed by him, a senior police official said.
The encounter broke out around 6 AM when a police team was engaged in a combing operation in Rollagadda forest area in Gundala Mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, bordering Chhattisgarh, District Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt told PTI over phone.
'Mild' tension prevailed in the area after a group of villagers, alleged to be sympathisers of the group, attacked the police personnel with sticks and stones when the body of the ultra was being shifted from the spot, he said adding the situation had been brought under control.
The patrol team was "fired upon by the group of rebels", following which the former retaliated, resulting in a gun battle, police said.
After the exchange of fire, the members of the naxal group fled the spot and police recovered the body. The situation is under control and the body has been shifted to mortuary, the SP said.
"Some of the villagers, who are sympathisers attacked the police resulting in minor injuries to some personnel. We are identifying the villagers and strict action will be taken against those who indulged in the attack on police," he said.
Meanwhile, condemning the police action as a fake encounter, CPI (ML) New Democracy members took out a rally holding red and black flags in neighbouring Khammam.
Meanwhile, police arrested a CPI Maoist courier M Nagaraju (42) near Cherla in the district during a vehicle check after they found him wandering under suspicious circumstances.
Nagaraju told them he was involved in supplying medicines, clothes and explosives to senior Maoist leaders in Chhattisgarh, police said adding he was also gathering and passing on information on police movements to the ultras.
Police have intensified combing operations in the border district in view of the CPI Maoist giving a call for Martyrs week (July 28- August 3).