Fresh encounter in Odisha's Malkangiri, 2 Maoists killed during combing operation

Malkangiri: At least two Maoists were on Thursday morning killed in Panasput area during a joint combing operation by the Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh police and Special Operation Group and District Voluntary Force (DVF) of Odisha police in Panasput jungle in Odisha’s Malkangiri district.

With this, the total number of Red radicals killed in police encounter since Monday has gone up to 30.

Report said a top Maoist leader was captured during the combing operation.

When contacted, Visakhapatna superintendent of police (rural) Rahul Dev Sharma, however, dismissed the report and said no one was captured.

“No Maoist leader has been captured today,” said the SP Mr Sharma. The two Maoists killed in the encounter included a woman.

The police seized two guns from the encounter site.

Visakhapatna SP Mr Sharma, who is currently in Malkangiri, along with the local SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra is supervising the combing operation.

The police on Wednesday had returned bodies of seven Maoists to their family members who had come from Andhra Pradesh. Among others the bodies of the slain rebels handed over to their family members included that of Munna, son of Maoist Central Committee member Ramakrishna alias RK. RK’s wife Sirisha received the body of Munna.

Reports said family members of the other deceased whose bodies are lying in the district hospital mortuary have arrived in Malkangiri. They will be handed over the bodies after completion of all formalities.