Chattisgarh: Naxal killed in Dantewada encounter on Sunday (representative image)

Atal Nagar: Security forces on Sunday gunned down one Naxal militant in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada. The Naxal was killed in an exchange of fire with District Reserve Guard near forest area of Hiroli. The slain Naxal was accused in the killing of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi, Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallav said.

The gunfight took place in the jungles of Hiroli which falls under Kirandul police station area where a squad of police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) was deployed for anti-naxal operation, Pallava told news agency PTI.

He informed that when the police team was passing through Hiroli, which is nearly 450 km from Raipur, a gunfight broke out between the militants and the security forces. The naxals fled from the spot, leading behind the body of Guddi, who was a member of Local Organisation Squad of Malangir Area Committee of Maoists. Security personnel also recovered a revolver with six rounds from the spot, Pallava said.

Guddi was accused of being involved in at least 40 cases of Naxal violence, including the murder of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi, who was killed in an IED blast last month. The BJP MLA and four security personnel were murdered when an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up their vehicle near Shyamgiri village in Dantewada on April 9.

The slain Naxal was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head. Pallava also informed that members of the recently-formed women platoon of DRG, "Danteshwari Ladake", also participated in Sunday's encounter with Maoists.