Gadchiroli, Sept 17 (PTI) A female Naxalite ‘commander’ and an area committee member, carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 14 lakh on their heads, were killed in an encounter with police in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Wednesday, officials said.
The slain Naxals were identified as Sumitra alias Sunita Veladi (38), the ‘commander’ of Gatta LOS, and Lalita alias Laddo Korsa (34), who was working as an ACM.
Veladi carried a Rs 8 lakh reward on her head and had 31 cases pending against her, including 14 cases of encounter and 12 of murder.
Korsa, a resident of Chhattisgarh, was carrying a bounty of Rs 6 lakh. She had 14 cases registered against her, including for encounters and murders, Gadchiroli Police stated in a release.
A credible input was received in the morning that a few members of Gatta LOS (local organisation squad) of Maoists were camping in a forest adjoining Modaske village in Etapalli taluka, a senior police officer said.
Police immediately launched the operation from Aheri in the Modaske forest area, led by Additional SP Satya Sai Karthik, joined by five units of C 60- a specialised anti-Naxal commando squad of the Gadchiroli Police.
The CRPF assisted the operations team in laying the outer cordon, the officer said.
When the C-60 contingent was searching the forest area, Maoists opened fire, which was returned by the police, forcing Naxals to flee into dense forests.
Later, during a search, the bodies of two women Naxalites were recovered along with an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, ammunition, and other items.
Police said 93 hardcore Maoists have been neutralised since 2021 in Gadchiroli, while 130 others have been arrested and 75 surrendered. PTI COR CLS GK NSK
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