Bijapur: The mother of Chokka Rao, a Naxalite who was slain in an encounter in Pujari Kanker along with 17 others, has approached the Telangana Police with a demand for her son's body. She said she would not die without seeing Rao's face for the last time.
"Where is my son? I will not get peace without seeing him. The vision in my eyes is getting weak. My health is also deteriorating. There is no one to take care of me. I do not want to die without seeing my son's face. I will not die without seeing my son," his mother said.
Chokka Rao alias Damodar alias Mallanna, a dreaded Naxalite, was an important leader of the outlawed outfit People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and was appointed the state secretary for Telangana. He was also carrying a reward of Rs 50 lakh from the security establishments and was bestowed with bigger responsibility in the organisation following the death of Yapa Narayan alias Haribhushan on June 21, 2021, due to Covid-19. The significance of his organisational position can be gauged from the fact that Rao, himself armed with deadly weapons, was always protected by an armed squad.
After receiving inputs from reliable sources about a meeting of Naxalities at Punjari Kanker with top leaders like commanders Hidma and Deva, the security forces advanced towards the clandestine spot. The contingent, comprising personnel from DRG, Cobra and CRPF, launched a stealth attack on the ultras, leading to the gunning down of a dozen Naxalites, the bodies of whom were retrieved from the place. Later, through a pamphlet, the Maoists said 18 comrades were slain. The encounter lasted for over nine hours with the participation of 1,000 Maoists against security personnel.
An intense search operation followed the encounter, in which a tunnel dug by the Maoists on the riverbank was unearthed by the forces. The tunnel was used for making illegal arms and bombs as evidenced by explosive materials.
"We will achieve the goal of a Naxalism-free India before the stipulated deadline," Bastar IG Sundarraj P said.
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