2 reward-carrying Naxals killed in encounter in MP

Two Naxals carrying rewards on their heads have been killed in an encounter with the police in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat. Police have recovered loaded rifles, bullets and cash from their possession.

Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh): Two Naxals, including a woman, both carrying rewards of ₹14 lakh each on their heads from three states were killed in an encounter with the police in Balaghat district on Wednesday.

Mangesh (21) and Nande (19), the woman Naxal, were wanted by the police in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, where they carried rewards of different amounts on their heads, a police official said.

Three other ultras who were with the slain rebels escaped from the encounter spotted under the cover of darkness, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Balaghat Range, K P Venkateshwar Rao said.

The gun-battle took place around midnight on Tuesday in Newarwahi village under the Lanji police station area, located some 80km from the district headquarters, he said.

The slain ultras hailed from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and carried rewards of different amounts of Rs 14 lakh each announced by the police in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, the IPS officer added.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of Maoists, policemen in plainclothes encircled a house in the village, Rao said.

The police personnel, drawn from Hawk Force of the MP police asked the Maoists to surrender but they opened fired indiscriminately at them, Rao added.

The Hawk Force personnel fired in defence, killing Mangesh and Nande on the spot, the IGP said.

A self-loading rifle was recovered from Mangesh, while Nande was found in possession of a 315 bore rifle, he said.

Besides, police recovered three bullet magazines, 13 bullets, a wireless set, mobile charger, torch, calculator, big backpacks and Rs 10,721 in cash, among other things, from the spot, the officer said.

Both were members of the Tanda area committee of Communist Party of India (Maoists) and active close to the tri-junction of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and MP, he added.

The two carried bounties of Rs 3 lakh each from the MP police, Rs 5 lakh each in Chhattisgarh and Rs 6 lakh each from the Maharashtra police, Rao said.

The encounter site is around 20km away from the Madhya Pradesh border touching Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.