Chhattisgarh: Five Maoists Killed in July 2 Encounter Identified as Central Committee Members

 Raipur: Five Maoists, slain in the July two encounters with security forces in Abujhmad area of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, have been identified as members of the Central Committee (CC) protection team, police said on Thursday.

The five deceased Maoists, who together carried bounty of Rs 40 lakh, have been identified as Rakesh (35), Konda Togda (30-35), Edma Wadde (40), Kamlu Wadde (40), and Farsa Tumda (30).

They were all CC protection team members each carrying a bounty of Rs eight lakh, police said.

“The killing of five CC protection team members indicates the likely presence of Central Committee (CC) members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the area”, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj told this newspaper.

They may have fled the spot during the encounter, he added.

The 72-hour counterinsurgency operation was launched in Hikulnar-Ghamandi under Kohakmat in Narayanpur district, falling under Abujhmad, in Bastar on June 30 following intelligence inputs on the presence of Maoists’ CC members Sonu and Kosa, and divisional committee members Arun, Ranita alias Jaymati, Radhika, Arab, Sukhlal in the forested area.

An encounter took place between the Maoists and security forces in the area on July two leading to killing of five Naxal leaders and seizure of a huge cache of weapons which included .303 and 315 bore rifles and barrel grenade launcher (BGL) and its shells.

This was the fifth major counterinsurgency operation undertaken by the security forces in Abujhmad area in Narayanpur district in the last two months.

The security forces have of late achieved major successes in counterinsurgency measures in Bastar, particularly the Abujhmad area, said to be used as a safe haven by the CC members of CPI (Maoist), police said.

In the current year so far, a total of 136 Maoists were killed in encounters in different parts of Leftwing extremism-hit Bastar, according to Mr Sunderraj.