Agencies
SUKMA, May 18: A Naxalite, who was wanted in connection with 16 cases and carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was killed in an encounter with the police in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, an official said. The gunfight took place around 6.30 am in the forest near Banjarpara village under Polampalli police station limits, where a team of police personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, the official said.
The operation was launched on Friday night based on inputs about the presence of senior Naxalites, including the secretary of the Konta area committee of Maoists, Vetti Mangdu, and area command-in-chief Hitesh, along with 15-20 cadres in forests of Tolnai, Tetrai, Banjarpara and Arlampalli villages, he said.
The exchange of fire lasted for about 20 to 25 minutes, following which Naxalites escaped into the dense forest after security personnel started zeroing in on them, the official said.
During a search at the encounter site, the police team recovered the body of a Naxalite, a muzzle-loading gun, tiffin bomb, three gelatin rods, an improvised explosive device, two cordex wires, a Maoist uniform and items of daily use, he said. The deceased Naxalite, Dudhi Hunga (35), was active as the militia commander of the Revolutionary People's Committee in the Konta area committee of Maoists, he said.
Hunga was wanted in 16 cases registered in three police stations of Sukma district and was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head, the official said.
With this incident, 105 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in the state so far this year.
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