A team of policemen from Sukma district in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar region on Saturday left for Malkangiri district in Orissa to identify bodies of 14 Naxals killed during a pre-dawn operation by the local police in the neighbouring state.
“Information received from various sources, including the Orissa police, indicated that the Maoists gunned down during the encounter in Silakota forest in Malkangiri district early on Saturday morning hailed from Chhattisgarh. We have rushed a police team from Sukma district to identify the bodies,” a senior police officer told this newspaper here requesting anonymity.
The police officer said the slain Naxals were believed to have a hand in the attack on the Congress convoy at Jiram Ghati in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on May 25 leading to the death of 30 people, including several senior state Congress leaders.
The NIA team, which is currently probing the May 25 Jiram Ghati incident, will also soon visit Malkangiri to interrogate the lone Maoist captured during the encounter, sources in NIA told this newspaper here.
A senior police officer here revealed that the special intelligence bureau (SIB) of the Chhattisgarh police had on September 13 tipped off the Orissa police on the movement of a group of Naxals from Chhattisgarh to Silakota reserve forest in Malkangiri district. The Chhattisgarh police had also alerted presence a group of armed Naxals near Damameta hill in the nearby area.
“The Orissa police had launched the late-night offensive against the Naxals camping at Silakota reserve forest following the tip off leading to killing of 14 ultras, including a woman cadre, and arrest of another Maoist,” he added.