A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was killed and two others were injured during two back-to-back encounters with the Maoists in Gadchiroli district on Sunday evening.
The encounters took place in Padiyalmetta forest under Gyarapatti police station limits of Gadchiroli, when the 113th battalion of the CRPF was carrying out a joint anti-Maoist operation along with the Maharashtra police.
“The first encounter took place at around 6 p.m. on Sunday. When the security forces retaliated to the firing n self-defence, the Maoists ifled from the spot taking advantage of thick forest,” the Gadchiroli police said in a statement.
However, a large group of Maoists fired at the security forces at around 7.50 p.m. in the same forest.
“The troops retaliated effectively and reportedly inflicted heavy casualties on the Maoists, but the number of casualties of the Maoists could not be ascertained,” said a CRPF official.
Three CRPF men — Deepak Sharma, Lokesh Kumar and Manjunath Shivaligappa — sustained serious injuries during the second encounter and Shivaligappa succumbed to his injuries during efforts to evacuate the three men for treatment.
The 31-year-old CRPF jawan hailed from Managundi town in Dharwad, Karnataka.
This was the second encounter between the security forces and the Maoists in Gadchiroli district in the last four days. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded in an encounter with the rebels on November 24.
