Narayanpur: The six Maoists killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, which included four women, carried a total reward of Rs 48 lakh on their heads, a police official said on Saturday.
A gunfight broke out on Friday afternoon in the forests near Pariya and Kakur in Abujhmad region between the ultras and personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Narayanpur, Kanker, Bastar, and Kondagaon districts, Special Task Force (STF) as well as 129th, 133rd and 135th battalions of Border Security Force (BSF), he said.
He identified the deceased as Rahul Punem alias Lachchhu Punem (38), Harish alias Kosa (25) and women ultras Manisha (25), Ungi Tati (24), Tati Meena alias Somri alias Chhoti (22) and Kudam Budhri (21).
“Punem was Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) and commander of the outlawed movement’s People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) platoon number 1. The other five were part of the platoon. The six carried bounties of Rs 8 lakh each,” the official said.
An AK-47 rifle, an SLR rifle, a .12-bore rifle, 11 BGL launchers, 83 BGL shells, large quantities of explosives, Maoist literature and daily-use items were recovered from the encounter site, he added.
A total of 221 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year, including 204 in Bastar division, which comprises Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Konadagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada districts, he said.
Notably, anti-Naxalite operations have intensified in Chhattisgarh since the BJP was elected to power in the 2023 assembly polls. More than 420 Maoist cadres, including senior functionaries, have been gunned down in separate encounters during this period.
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