Chhattisgarh: Police jawan killed in exchange of fire with naxals in Rajnandgaon district

A police jawan was on Friday killed and another injured in an exchange of fire with naxals in a Maoist-affected area of Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district, police said.

The skirmish took place at around 11:45 am in the forests of Bhave village under Gatapar police station limits while a team of district force was out on a search operation, a district police official told PTI.

Assistant Constable Sukhuram Netam (33) died in the incident and another assistant constable Asharam Tekam sustained minor splinter injury, he said.

The patrolling party had launched the operation from Bakarkatta area on Thursday.

When security forces on Friday advancing through jungles of Bhave, bordering Balaghat area of Madhya Pradesh, they came under heavy fire from a group of ultras leading to a gun-battle between both the sides, he said.

However, rebels soon escaped into core forests, the official said adding that during searches, security forces recovered Maoist-related documents, bags and other items from the spot.

Blood stains found at the spot indicate that some naxals were also injured in the gun-battle but their colleagues managed to take them away, he added.

Injured---Sukhuram—who was hit by bullet in his abdomen and Asharaam were immediately airlifted to Raipur for treatment at a private hospital.

While Sukhuram was declared dead after examination at the hospital, another jawan was said to be out of danger and undergoing treatment there, he added.

The body of the martyred jawan will be brought to Rajnandgaon after the postmortem, he added.

Sukhram who was posted with police line in Rajnandgaon was a native Sandewahi village under Sitagaon police station limits of the district.