Chhattisgarh: Naxal wanted in 19 criminal cases killed in encounter with police

A Naxalite wanted in 19 criminal cases and carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh was gunned down by police in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, an official said on Tuesday.

The face-off took place on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday between the insurgents and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in a forest surrounding Jabrametta under Katekalyan police station limits, he said.

The ultras targeted security personnel who were out on a search operation in a forest patch, prompting the DRG to retaliate, the official said.

The rebels fled into the forest taking advantage of the darkness.

During a search of the area, the security personnel recovered the body of a slain Naxal, identified as Budhram Markam, a member of the Katekalyan area committee of the outlawed movement, the official said.

As many as 19 cases were registered against Markam and he was carrying a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, he said.

All the security personnel were safe and the search operation was underway in the area, he added.