Maoists’ death toll rises to seven in Gadchiroli encounter, Prabhakar of Telangana among the dead

Seven Maoists, including a top CPI (Maoist) leader from Telangana carrying a Rs.25 lakh reward, were killed in a four-day anti-Naxal operation along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, while one C-60 commando died of injuries sustained during the encounter.

Kothagudem: The death toll of Maoists killed in an anti-naxal operation carried out for four days on the borders of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli and Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur districts rose to seven.

In-charge of the CPI (Maoist) Gadchiroli division committee, West Sub-Zonal Bureau and Company No 10, Loketi Chander Rao (53) alias Prabhakar of Telangana was among the seven Maoists killed in the exchange of fire with police
He carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head. He belongs to Isrojivadi at Sadashiva Nagar of Kamareddy district. He went underground in 1995 and goes by aliases Padakala Swamy, Ravi and Prabhakar.

---

Security forces have recovered bodies of seven Maoists, four male and three female cadres, till end of operations on Friday night. Three AK-47 rifles, one self-loading rifle (SLR) and one .303 weapon were also recovered from the spot. The identity of remaining Maoists was yet to be ascertained.

It might be noted that the operation was launched on Tuesday following information about the presence of CPI (Maoist) Company-10 cadres in Abujhmad area under the limits of Maharashtra’s Bhamragad police sub-division.

A C-60 commando Deepak Chinna Madavi (38) who was injured in the anti-naxal operation was airlifted and shifted to government health facility at Bhamragad on Friday morning. He died while being treated at the hospital.

His last rites would be performed on Saturday at his native village Mandra in Aheri taluka of Gadchiroli district with full honours. Another commando Joga Madavi who suffered bullet injuries was also airlifted to Bhamragad and was taken to a hospital at Gadchiroli. He was said to be out of danger, police said.