A senior Maoist leader, allegedly involved in the attack that killed Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Bheema Mandavi in April, was killed in an encounter with security personnel on Sunday, said the police. The encounter took place in the jungles of Hiroli in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, PTI reported.
The body of Local Organisation Squad of Malangir Area Committee of Maoists member Guddi was found after the encounter ended, said Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava. A gun with six rounds was also found at the encounter site.
A team of District Reserve Guard was in the area to carry out anti-Maoist operations when the exchange of fire began between the two sides, said Pallava. Commandos of DRG’s women platoon also took part in the operation.
Guddi was an accused in nearly 40 cases of violence perpetrated by Maoists. Guddi, who reportedly has a Rs 1 lakh reward on his head, is also suspected to have been involved in the killing of Mandavi. The BJP MLA was killed along with four others in a Maoist attack on his convoy on April 9. Mandavi was returning from election campaigning when the attack took place. On April 18, the Chhattisgarh Police said that they had killed two Maoists suspected to have been involved in the blast triggered by an improvised explosive device.
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