Maoists kill CRPF officer in Chattisgarh

Chattisgarh: A CRPF officer was killed n a gunfight with Maoists in the BIjapur district of Chattisgarh on Saturday, security officials said. According to police, the gunfight took place at around 9.30 am near a rivulet close to Putkel village under Basaguda police station limits, when a team of CRPF's 168th battalion was out on the road security duty.

The deceased has been identified as Assistant Commandant Shanti Bhusan Tirkey. A jawan, Appa Rao, was injured in the gun battle and has been shifted to a hospital to treat his injuries. Other reports said the CRPF team was ambushed while on its way to intercept a group of Maoists reported to be meeting in a forest.

"When the team was cordoning off a forest near Dongal Chinta rivulet, Maoists opened fire on the team, due to which the gunfight started. Assistant Commandant Shanti Bhusan Tirkey was killed while jawan Appa Rao sustained injuries in the gunfight,"Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar range, Sunderaj P told Hindustan Times, adding that the encounter site was under the Pamed area committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

The attackers also stole a bulletproof vest, AK-47 and give motorcycles belonging to security officers that the IGP. Police had begun combing nearby jungles for traces of the attackers. The motorcycle of the deceased officer was torched by Maoists during the encounter.

The mortal remains of the officer were shifted to a Jagdalpur (Bastar district) hospital for post-mortem. Meanwhile, the death of officer Tikrey was highlighted by Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel who said that his sacrifice would not go in vain.

"Our jawans have been entering the den core areas of Maoists and battling against them with valour and courage. They have pushed Maoists to a limited pocket (in Bastar). The martyrdom of our jawans will not go in vain," Baghel said in a statement.

Security forces are still looking for engineer Ashok Pawar and his colleague Anand Kishore who were abducted by Maoists from a bridge construction site on the banks of Indravati river in Bijapur on Friday. Last Wednesday, Congress worker Dhanshyam Mandavi was killed by Maoists in the same district.