38 Maoists Killed in Deadliest Encounter in Bastar’s Thulthuli Forest
RAIPUR: Thirty eight Maoists were killed in the encounter in the Thulthuli forest in Abujhmad area under Narayanpur district in south Bastar in Chhattisgarh on October four, a revised Maoist casualty figure in the incident released by the police on Friday said.
Security forces had recovered 31 bodies after the encounter on October four.
“Bodies of 31 Naxals were recovered after the encounter on October four. But, Maoists have later released a list of 35 Maoists slain in the incident. After scrutiny of the list, it has been found that seven more Naxals were killed in the encounter”, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj told this newspaper.
The Bastar police on Friday released details of the 38 Maoists, slain in the October four encounter in Abujhmad.
This was the worst setback in terms of casualties suffered by Maoists in an encounter in the Leftwing extremism-hit Bastar in the last three decades.
The 38 slain Maoists collectively carried bounties of Rs 2.62 crore, Dantewada district superintendent of police Gaurav Ray said.
The encounter had taken place in the forest along Narayanpur and Dantewada districts.
The deceased Maoists included a member of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), an influential formation of Maoists, the commander of the company number six of Naxals, three divisional committee members, 14 members of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and six area committee members.
The DKSZC member killed in the encounter carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh, while the slain commander of the company number six carried a bounty of Rs ten lakh.
Three slain divisional committee members carried bounties of Rs eight lakh each.
In April this year, 29 Maoists were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Kanker district in north Bastar in the state.