Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police said the five Maoists who were gunned down in a fierce police encounter July 5 together carried a huge reward of Rs 34 lakhs on their heads.
This is a historic first in which rebels carrying such high rewards on them have been shot down.
“There have been instances of more than five Maoists in a single day on a single day in the past, but deaths of the Maoists carrying Rs 34 lakh reward on a single day is so far the highest. A few years ago, some Maoists carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh were killed on Angul-Deogarh border,” a senior police official said.
Among the deceased Maoists, Sukru Kosa Sodhi was a senior state committee member of the banned CPI(M) outfit carrying a reward of Rs 20 lakh, a divisional committee member carrying a Rs 5 lakh reward, two area commander members carrying Rs 4 lakh reward each and a party member carrying a Rs 1 lakh reward.
Interestingly, the reward of Rs 34 lakh total will be handed over to the Kandhamal Police for carrying out the encounter.
At least six Maoists have been killed in Odisha this year. Before the five Maosists were killed in the last encounter, another Maoist was gunne down in Swabhiman Anchal area in Malkangiri district.
PNN/Agencies