Four Naxalites were killed in a police encounter in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, sources told ABP News on Tuesday. Maharashtra Police's special C-60 Commando and Central Reseve Police Force Personnel launched an operations in the forest of Gadchiroli after receiving an input that a big group of Naxalites from Telangana was hiding in the forests to carry out subsersive activities in the wake of Lok Sabha elections.
"The police received information on Monday afternoon that some Naxalites had entered Gadchiroli from neighbouring Telangana by crossing the Pranhita river with an aim to carry out subversive activities amid the model code of conduct in place for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," said Superintendent of Police Neelotpal, as per a PTI report.
Several C-60 teams and the CRPF's Quick Action team were sent for a search in the area. While conducting a search on Tuesday morning in the Kolamarka mountains near Repanpalli by one of the C-60 unit teams, the Naxalites opened indiscriminate firing at them to which the security personnel retaliated.
Following the encounter, the police recovered dead bodies of the four male Naxalites, who according to the official carried a collective cash reward of Rs 36 lakh on their heads.
An AK-47 gun, a carbine, two country-made pistols, Naxal literature and other items along with other items was also seized.
Two of the killed Naxalites identified as Vargeesh and Magtu were secretaries of outfit's different committess while two others were platoon members identified as Kursang Raju and Kudimetta Venkatesh, said the police.
Another Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Tuesday, as per a police official.
The encounter took place on Tuesday's morning in a forest near Purangel village under the limits of Kirandul police station when a joint team of personnel from different security forces was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said.