The encounter took place within the area of a new zone the Maoists are seeking to create, comprising border areas of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (Source: Google Maps)
A sub-inspector and a constable were killed on Sunday in an encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district that borders Madhya Pradesh. Both policemen were posted in the anti-Maoist Elite 30 unit. “Sub-Inspector of Police Yugal Kishore Verma and constable Krish Sahu were killed in the incident,” said Dipanshu Kabra, IGP of Durg range.
He added that while Verma died on the spot, Sahu succumbed to injuries while being evacuated from the forest. Bodies of the two police personnel have been brought to Rajnandgaon district headquarters from where they will be sent to their native places, the officer said.
The encounter took place within the area of a new zone the Maoists are seeking to create, comprising border areas of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, about which The Indian Express has reported in a series. Kabra said: “The encounter took place around 3 pm. Our teams had gone to the Bhave area after receiving information about the presence of Maoists there.” He added that the area where the encounter took place has been a focus area for the forces in the recent past.
“We have been receiving inputs that they (the Maoists) have been hiding in the hills here. Some time ago, we opened a temporary camp in Bhave, and there were signs of their regular presence. We had to return because of rain, but got information of their (Maoists’) presence again today,” he said.
(—With PTI inputs)
