Odisha: 2 women Maoists, carrying 4 lakh bounty, killed in encounter

Bhubaneswar: Two women Maoists carrying a bounty of Rs 4 lakh each on their heads were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Odisha's Bolangir district on Thursday, November 24, 2022, Director General of Police S K Bansal said. The gunfight took place near Jal Mahadev temple in Khaprakol area in Gandhamardan hills after an Odisha Police team spotted a Maoist camp during a combing operation, he said.

The gunfight ensued after Maoists opened fire on the advancing police team and in retaliatory fire, two women red rebels were killed, he said, adding two INSAS rifles were seized. Three other Maoists managed to escape and a manhunt has been launched to nab them, the DGP said.

The slain Maoists hailed from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and were area committee members of the Bolangir-Bargarh-Mahasamud division of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, the DGP said. Bansal also appealed to Maoists to shun violence and return to the mainstream. Two Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Koraput district on November 11.