Dantewada: An official confirmed Monday morning that a suspected Maoist leader was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. Security personnel were conducting the anti-Maoist operation at around 9 AM when the exchange of fire took place in a forest area near the Dantewada-Bijapur border.
During the operation, the forces came under a gunfight with Maoist insurgents in which one suspect was killed, said Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai. “We have already recovered one body, and a search operation is ongoing in the area,” he said accordingly. Another gun recovered from the site was an Insas rifle.
One of the officials familiar with the development said the deceased was identified as Renuka, also known as Banu, a senior Maoist leader. She was overseeing the works of the organization’s media operation as a state zonal committee member. Renuka came under the category of high-profile insurgents, and her head was crested at ₹25 lakh.
They also think her death is a big blow to Maoist activities in the region, observing that she had been involved in propaganda for the movement and strategic operations. Security forces keep sifting through the dense forest areas to make sure the remaining insurgents are not present.
The fact that Chhattisgarh, specifically the Dantewada and Bijapur districts, had been the stronghold of Maoist activity with frequent encounters between the rebels and security forces made the recent incident particularly distressing. In years past, the government has stepped up operations against insurgency and brought peace to the region.
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