Maoist killed in an encounter with Chhattisgarh Police

A Maoist was killed in an encounter with Chhattisgarh police in Bastar’s Dantewada district on Thursday, police said. The Maoist, identified by the police as Denga Deva alias Mahangu Deva, was a member of Katekalyan Area Committee of CPI ( Maoist) and carried a reward of ₹5 lakh.

Inspector general of police Sunderaj P said the encounter took place in a forest near Nedanar village of Dantewada at around 2:30pm.

“A team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation when Maoists of Katekalyan Area Committee started firing. The police retaliated and when the encounter ended, a body of Maoist was recovered from the encounter spot,” the Bastar range IG said.

“Prima facie the deceased has been identified as Denga Deva alias Mahangu, who is an area committee member of CPI (Maoist). He was carrying a reward of ₹5 lakh on his head,” the IG added.

Police said that more than a dozen cases of Maoist violence were registered against

“Around 18 cases of Maoist violence were registered against Deva. He was a notorious cadre and was a resident of Mudenaar village under Darbha police station of Bastar district,” said Siddharth Tiwari, Dantewada’s superintendent of police said.