Telangana gunbattle kills 12 Maoists, one policeman

This photo from July 8, 2012, shows Maoists being trained in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh

In a major setback to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), at least 12 guerrillas were killed in a gunfight with police in Telangana's Jayashankar Bhupalapally district on Friday. A police constable also lost his life, police said and three personnel of the elite Greyhounds anti-Maoist force were injured. The exchange of fire occurred in the forests near Venkatapuram village on Telangana-Chhattisgarh border in the early hours of Friday.

The Maoists received the big jolt in the joint operation by the police of the two states in Tadapalagutta-Pujarikamkedu region. The incident occurred when police, including Greyhounds personnel, launched combing operations in the forests following tip-off about the presence of Maoists. They surrounded the guerrillas and asked them to surrender. However, the Maoists opened fire, forcing the police to retaliate. Some Maoists escaped deep in the forest. Additional forces were rushed to the area to launch the combing operations. Senior police officers, including Jayashankar Bhupalapally district superintendent of police R Bhaskaran, also rushed to the scene.

Some top leaders of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), including the banned outfit's Telangana Secretary Haribhushan alias Jagan and another key leader Chukka Rao were suspected to be among the slain Maoists. The dead include six women cadre of the outfit. Haribhushan's wife Samakka was also killed in the encounter. Haribhushan had been heading the outfit since formation of Telangana State and he was carrying a reward of '30 lakh on his head. Sushil Kumar, a constable of Greyhounds was also killed in the gun battle. Three other police personnel were injured.

CRPF director general honours personnel
CRPF Director General Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar on Thursday honoured officers and jawans of the force involved in encounters that resulted in elimination of six Maoists in Jharkhand last month, a release by the para-military force said. Bhatnagar handed over cash awards to 25 jawans and officers of the Central Reserve Police Force who had taken part in the encounters on February 8 and 26.

Rs 41,000
Cash recovered from the scene

06
Number of women cadre among the slain Maoists

05
Number of guns recovered from the scene

Rs 30 lakh
The reward Haribhushan was carrying on his head

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