Chhattisgarh: Woman Naxalite, BSF jawan injured in encounter

A woman Naxalite was seriously injured in a gun-battle with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, while two jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) also suffered minor injuries in the face-off, police said on Saturday.

The exchange of fire took place on Friday night in the forests of Urpanjhur village when joint teams of security personnel were out on a search operation, they said. Acting on inputs about presence of Naxalites, the personnel belonging to BSF's 178th, 47th, 132nd battalions and District Force (DF) had launched a search operation from separate camps in Pakhanjore, Chhotebethiya, Bande, Badgaon and Partapur police station areas on Friday night, they said.

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The patrolling team comprising personnel from the 178th battalion of the BSF and the DF that had set out on the search operation from Mendra camp under Partapur police station limits came under firing from Naxalites around 9 pm near Urpanjhur, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.

After the gunfight, the security personnel found a woman Naxalite with bullet injuries on her legs at the spot, he said. One single-shot rifle, a cache of live cartridges of different guns, six pressure cooker improvised explosive device (IED), one solar plate, three bundles of electric wire, batteries, Maoist uniforms, bags, pamphlets, medicines and other material were recovered from the spot, he said. Constables Vikas Singh and Manlik Ram, belonging to the BSF's 178th battalion, sustained minor injuries in the gunfight and they were provided preliminary treatment at the camp, Kanker Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha said, adding that their condition was said to be out of danger.

The injured Naxalite has been identified as Fagni Podiyami, a Local Organisation Squad (LOS) member active under RKB (Rajnandgaon Kanker Border) division of Maoists, the SP said, adding that she was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head.

She is the wife of Vinod Gavde, Madanwada Local Organisation Squad (LOS) commander of Maoists, he said. She has been admitted to Kanker district hospital, he added. Reinforcement has been sent to the area where the search operation is underway, he added.