SAA event in Madhya Pradesh, Lodhangi Forest area under Bahela Police Station limits in Balaghat District area, India on Mon 20th June 2022

Three Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, identified as Nagesh alias Raju Tulavi (40), Manoj (25) and Rama (23), were killed by Madhya Pradesh Police in an encounter at Lodhangi Forest area under Bahela Police Station limits in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh on June 20, reports The Indian Express. Acting on information about presence of a few Maoist cadres on the hills of Kharadi village, about 70 kilometres from District Headquarters Balaghat, a team of 50 personnel of Hawk Force, (special anti-Naxal Force of MP Police) launched the combing operation, in which the Maoists were killed. The slain Maoist trio collectively carried a reward of over INR 5.7 million on their heads. Nagesh, who carried a bounty of INR 2.9 million on him, was the ‘commander’ of Tanda area committee of Mafalling under Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat (GRB) area of Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) corridor. Manoj and Rama, both members of the area committee, carried a bounty of INR 1.4 million each on them. The encounter comes months after Maharashtra Police killed 26 Maoist cadres in MMC zone, where Police say Maoists are trying to expand their base. Police said, there are at least 13 cases registered against Nagesh in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, while, Rama, a resident of Sukma in Chhattisgarh, had 12 cases against her, and Manoj had three cases against him. Police claim to have seized three rifles, as many wireless sets, two combat pouches, GPS trackers and detonators among other explosives from near the bodies.