Madhya Pradesh: Woman maoist among two shot dead in Balaghat

BHOPAL/JABALPUR: A woman Maoist commander along with a male member, both carrying a cash reward of Rs 8 lakh each, were shot dead in an encounter with the security forces in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh late on Tuesday night.


Police said that they had seized a self loading rifle and a 315 bore rifle from the possession of the deceased Maoists in Balaghat.

Both the Maoists have been identified as female Maoist Nande, 19, and the other was Mangesh, 21. Both were the members of Tanda dalam of Maoists, the police added.

The encounter took place at Pujari Tola village under Lanjhi tehsil of Balaghat district at around 11.30pm on Monday night. It is suspected that there were around 12 members at the spot while others were managed to escape.

"Both of them were carrying cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each in Madhya Pradesh and Rs 5 lakh each in Chhattisgarh, whether any reward on them was announced in Maharashtra is yet to be verified, " SP Balaghat Abhishek Tiwari told TOI.

"We had a tip off that Maoists are holding a meeting in the village. The spot was surrounded. There were around 12 members," he added.

"But they started firing. We had to fire more than fifty rounds,"he said.

This year, total eighth woman Maoist have benn killed so far in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

A day ago woman Maoist, Kuram Bhime was killed on July 9, in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. In March this year, a Maoist leader also carrying a reward of Rs8 lakh, Jamna alias Sagan Bai, 46, resident of Balaghat district, who was allegedly involved in 1999 killing of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh minister Likhiram Kavre, was killed in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh in March this year.

Among the senior women Maoists killed recently in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are Pramila alias Rajula Sitanadi, an area committee member carrying a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh, Durga alias Manjula, Gobra LOS (local operating squad) member, with a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh, Munni alias Rashmi, Gobra LOS member with a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh. On June 18, senior woman cadre Seema, who was Sitanadi area committee secretary and divisional area committee member, was killed in an encounter, she also carried a cash reward of Rs 8 lakh.