According to official data between 2016 and 2018, 85 individuals, including Naxals, common people and police personnel, were killed in various Maoist-related incidents in Dantewada.
Hidma Kawasi was Commander of Maoist Malangir area committee and in-charge of the Naxal technical team and was an expert in planting IED (improvised explosive devices), police said.
The encounter took place in the restive Orchha area of the district when ultras attacked a team of security forces guarding a helipad, Director General (Anti-Naxal Operation) Girdhari Nayak said.
For the two former Maoists life has taken a 180 degree turn as earlier they used to attack polling parties and disrupt the polling process, but now they are part of the security team trying to safeguard the election in Bastar.
Maoists attacked the convoy of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada two days ahead of the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections.
This time the dynamics are a bit different as the Congress has come to power in Chhattisgarh with a huge margin. Congress won 68 seats in the 90-member assembly in last year's state election.
A female member of Naxal urban network who carried cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head surrendered before police in Naxal-hit Rajnandgaon district about 76 km from Chhattisgarh’s state capital Raipur, on Saturday.
The cabinet has decided to end the rule of Chhattisgarh land revenue code which permitted acquisition of tribal land on mutual-agreement basis, state Agriculture minister Ravindra Choubey said.
