Raipur: Tuesday’s encounter in a forest in Abujhmad in south Bastar in Chhattisgarh has led to elimination of five top leaders of Maad division of Maoists while shattering the myth that the area, considered safe sanctuary of ultras, is beyond reach of security personnel, police said on Wednesday.
Ten Maoists including three women cadres were killed in an encounter with security forces in a forest near Kakur village under Abujhmad (loosely translated in English as incomprehensible) along the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts in Bastar in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
“Some senior Naxal leaders from Maharashtra, Telangana and Bastar were among the ten Maoists slain in the April 30 encounter near Kakur”, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj said.
Prominent among the Maoist leaders killed in the encounter included Jaganna alias Ghissu alias Cheemala Narsaiah (66), a resident of Jayyaram under Ramagundam police station in Karimnagar district in Telangana.
He was military commander of Maad division of Maoists and carried a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head.
Other senior Maoist leaders slain in the incident were Mallesh alias Unga Madkam (41), a resident of Bastar. He was a divisional committee member and carried a bounty of Rs eight lakhs.
Two other senior Maoist leaders, Vinay alias Kasaraboina alias Ravi who hailed from Chennur under Adilabad district in Telangana and Suresh, were killed in the incident.
Both the Maoists were in the rank of divisional committee members and carried a reward of Rs eight lakh each on their heads.
Another slain Maoist leader has been identified as Sangita Donge Atram who was in the rank of commander of an area committee.
She carried a reward of Rs five lakh on her head.
“The counterinsurgency operation in the forest near Kakur village on Tuesday was very significant as it has shattered the long-held myth of Maad being an impregnable sanctuary for Maoists”, the police officer said.
Significantly, there was no casualty among the security forces in the encounter.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition and explosives was recovered at the encounter site.
Meanwhile, a jawan of DRG identified as Mangal Mandvi was injured in the bear attack during the encounter.
This was the first of its kind incident in Bastar.
A herd of bears pounced on the jawan and injured his legs when he was taking position during the encounter with Maoists. He however managed to escape from them.
He was airlifted to Narayanpur for treatment.
