Two Naxalites killed in encounter with security forces in MPs Balaghat district

Two Naxalites who collectively carried a reward of Rs 43 lakh on their heads were killed in an encounter with security forces in Madhya Pradeshs Balaghat district in the early hours of Wednesday, a senior official said.

A Special Operation Group (SOG) of the state polices elite Hawk Force was involved in the skirmish which took place in Supkhar forest area, said Inspector General (anti-Naxalite operations) Sajid Farid Shapoo.

Two weapons including an AK-47 were also seized from the spot, he added. Police had received information about Naxalite activities in Balaghat, Mandla and bordering areas of Chhattisgarh in the past some days, the IG said.

The Naxalites had announced that December 2 to 8 will be observed as the `Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week and thrown some pamphlets in the area, according to local police.

After receiving a tip-off, the SOG team left for the forest around 1 am on Wednesday for a search operation. In the wee hours, the Naxalites started firing on them indiscriminately and the SOG retaliated, Shapoo said.

After the guns fell silent around 11 AM, the bodies of two Naxalites were found. They were identified as Ganesh Mandavi (35), in-charge of coordination team of the Naxalites `MMC zone and a resident of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, and Rajesh (30), commander of the Bhoramdev Area Committee of the Naxalites and resident of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Mandavi and Rajesh were carrying rewards of Rs 29 lakh and Rs 14 lakh, respectively, in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. As many as 15 criminal cases were registered against Mandavi in the three states. Rajesh was facing 18 cases in MP and Chhattisgarh, IG Shapoo said. Earlier, Mandla superintendent of police Yashpal Singh Rajput had informed that the encounter took place on the border of Balaghat and Mandla districts, under the limits of Gadhi and Motinala police stations.

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