india

Updated: Nov 07, 2019 11:01 IST

A constable of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF ) was killed in an encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district in the wee hours of Thursday, police said.

“The constable KR Kamata Prasad who was deployed with 151 battalion of CRPF in Bijapur died in the encounter,” said Sunderaj P, in-charge inspector general (IG) of Bastar division.

Sunderaj P said a joint team of CRPF and CoBRA was cordoning off a suspicious area in Jerapalli village in the Bijapur district when the Maoists opened fire on the security forces.

“The encounter started at 4 am when a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit, CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), was carrying out a combing operation in Pamed jungles in Chhattisgarh,” said the IG.

“The encounter lasted for about 20 minutes and the Maoists escaped into the deep jungle. After the gunfight stopped, the team found that Constable Kamta Prasad sustained bullet injuries. He was rushed to Cherla Hospital but died on his way to the hospital,” he added.