Raipur: After Maoists released a threatening press note and posters, two incidents of violence including gunfight and arson were reported in naxal heartland Bastar.

A hardcore Naxal having bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head was killed during an encounter with security forces in Maoist insurgency hit Dantewada district, police said on Sunday.

The incident happened in a forested patch of Gaadam and Jungampal in Dantewada districts about 450 km south of state capital Raipur, police said.

“In an exchange of fire between Dantewada DRG and Maoists of Katekalyan area committee at about 2 pm, between jungles of gaadam and jungampal, one Maoist’s dead body was recovered,” Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Sundarraj P said.

He was identified as Vetti Hunga, militia commander and carried a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, the officer said adding more Maoists are suspected to have been either killed or seriously injured in the action.

One 8 mm pistol and one country made muzzle loading gun was also recovered. Also, a 2kg IED, crackers, two pithoo with Maoist literature, medicines and items of daily was also found at the encounter site, Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallava said.

As the medicines found in the search operation at the site of encounter are the medicines used in the government hospital, so the probe initiated to find how it has reached the naxals, the SP added.

It may be possible that as earlier the Naxals abducted mitanins from Bijapur, might have threatened the government officers for doing it, he added.

However, apart from it in a separate incident Maoists burnt five construction vehicles engaged in a water filter plant in Naimed police station limits of Bijapur district, IG Bastar said.

Armed Maoist set fire to two mixture machines, two poklane machines and a tractor on Sunday afternoon, the police added.