Key Naxal leader, accomplice killed in encounter near Raipur

A key Naxal leader, believed to be behind major attacks on security forces, including the recent one in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, was today gunned down along with a woman accomplice in an encounter near Raipur, police said.

The two ultras were killed this morning in a gun-battle with police at Shivpur village of Durg district, nearly 45km from here, RK Vij, inspector general of police (Durg Range) told PTI.

However, another Maoist managed to escape, he said.

Acting on a tip off that Nagesh, a Naxal leader from North Bastar, would come to the village to procure ammunition in large quantity, police reached the spot, Vij said.

When they tried to stop Nagesh, accompanied by two of his accomplices including a woman Naxal, he opened fire at the security men. While Nagesh and the woman Maoist were killed in retaliatory firing, another one succeeded in fleeing the spot.

Police have recovered bodies of the Naxals besides two pistols and Rs45,000 in cash, Vij said.

According to him, Nagesh was behind the ambush on security personnel on August 29, in which three BSF jawans and two policemen were killed, and practically had role in all Naxal activities in Kanker district since 1998.

It is for the first time that Naxals have been killed in an encounter in Durg, which is at close proximity with the state capital. Durg hitherto had witnessed sporadic incidents of Naxal violence for last two years, police said.