12 Maoists, One Cop Killed In Encounter In State

The CPI (Maoist) party suffered a huge blow in the early hours with at least 12 Maoists, including Telangana party secretary Haribushan, Bade Chokka Rao and six women, killed in an alleged encounter at Charla in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district.

The police confirmed the deaths.

A police constable named Susheel was also killed in the fierce gun battle, and three other constables suffered grievous injuries in the encounter. The police shifted the injured constables to the Bhadrachalam Area Hospital.

The encounter took place during combing operations launched in the forests by the police, including Greyhounds personnel, following information that Maoists were moving there. According to the police, Greyhounds teams had been combing the Poojarikaked area for the last two days, and this morning they confronted the Maoists. Upon sighting the Maoists, the police surrounded them and asked them to lay down arms and surrender. But the extremists opened fire at the police instead, forcing the latter to retaliate in self-defence. In the incident, 12 Maoists died on the spot and some others escaped from the scene.

The police teams were still combing the area for the remaining Maoists.

The police also seized five guns, including an AK-47, from the spot.

On knowing the news of the encounter, the Jayashanker-Bhoopalpally district SP and OSD rushed to the spot.

Incidentally, two years ago on this day (March 2, 2016), seven Maoists, including South-Central Zone secretary Lachanna, were killed in an encounter in the same district.

Meanwhile, Telangana People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) leaders filed a petition in the High Court urging it to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the encounter and let the bodies of the slain Maoists be preserved until then. The PUCL also urged the court to have post mortems conducted in the presence of the family members of the deceased, and by forensic experts. The PUCL also requested the court to issue orders for the filing of murder cases against the police who participated in the encounter.