21 Maoists killed in encounter in Malkangiri on AP-Odisha border, 2 cops injured

 

At least 21 Maoists were killed and two of the security forces injured in an encounter on the Andhra Pradesh -Odisha border early on Monday morning.

According to sources, the encounter broke out in Begangi forest in Odisha’s Malkangiri district when the state Special Party Police and the Greyhounds, the elite anti-Naxal Andhra police force, carried out a joint operation.

The forces were combing the area after receiving information of some senior Maoist leaders holding a plenary session.

“Immediately after seeing the police forces, the Maoists began firing at them and the police had to retaliate. In the exchange of fire, 21 Maoists were killed, while two Greyhound constables received injuries. The encounter is still going on,” Andhra Pradesh director general of police, N Sambasiva Rao said.

Police believe that among those killed are Chalapathi alias Appa Rao, a top Maoist leader and east division secretary, Malkangiri division secretary Gajarla Ravi alias Udai, and Munna, the son of the central committee member Ramakrishna alias RK.

Bakuri Venkataramana alias Ganesh, a senior Maoist leader, is learnt to have escaped.

So far, police recovered 18 bodies from the spot and the injured constables were shifted to Visakhapatnam.

Police also recovered four AK-47 rifles, two SLRs and 2 Insas rifles, besides ammunition.

Maoist emissary and revolutionary writer P Vara Vara Rao alleged that it was a fake encounter and the firing was one-sided. He demanded that a post-mortem of those killed be conducted as per a Supreme Court directive, and the bodies returned to their relatives.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/19-maoists-killed-in-encounter-in-malkangiri-on-ap-odisha-border-2-cops-injured/story-MBayiGNNqx8XylDJy9uphL.html