A Maoist suspected to have been involved in several killings in the Andhra Odisha Border was found dead in an encounter with the police in the forest area near Kapakuti under the Chitrakonda police station limits in Malkangiri district of Odisha early Saturday.
“The incident occurred during routine operations by our special party. The deceased has been identified as Gadda Nageswara Rao alias Chinnabbai, 38, an area committee member of Kalimela dalam,” Malkangiri SP Mitrobhanu Mohapatra told The Hindu on phone.
The deceased carried ₹4 lakh reward and was suspected to be involved in the killing of Budu Hantal of Colony Tekguda, Sama Padiami alias Bikram at Sanateguda and Suresh Talar of Sablur and several other incidents last year.
In a joint operation by the Andhra and Odisha police at Jantri in Malkangiri district, a hotbed for left-wing extremists, 24 Maoists including some top ranking leaders were killed by the police in October last year.
The police seized seven to eight rounds of bullets, a 9 mm pistol, Maoist literature and a kit bag from the encounter site on Saturday. The SP said the deceased was active in extremist activity in the AOB area since 2008. He was a native of Kundumulu village under the Pedabayalu police station limits of Andhra Pradesh.
