Maoist with Rs 8 lakh bounty killed in encounter in Bastar's Kanker

A Maoist carrying cash reward of Rs 8 lakh was killed in forest of Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district in Bastar region on Wednesday.Kanker SP Indira Kalyan Eleselsa told TOI that a joint team of district reserve guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF) gunned down a Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh in an encounter that took place late Tuesday. The body was recovered on Wednesday during the search.The exchange of fire took place in forests of Gedabeda village, a hilly area under Partapur situated on the Kanker–Narayanpur border.SP Elesela said that the operation was launched on Sept 7 when security forces DRG and BSF marched out of the camps based on specific inputs about presence of Maoists. On Tuesday, the team came under fire from Maoists leading to a fierce gun battle.Security forces recovered the body of a male Maoist identified as Masa, a member of PLGA military company number 5. A .303 rifle, a wireless set, and other Maoist belongings were also seized from the site.Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said, “Despite adverse geography and weather, the police and security forces in Bastar are working with full commitment to protect the lives and property of citizens in line with the aspirations of the people.” He appealed to Maoist cadres to abandon violence and join the mainstream through the state government’s rehabilitation policy.