CRPF personnel from K'taka killed in encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh

Bengaluru: Three CRPF personnel including one from Karnataka were Friday killed in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.

The deceased CRPF personnel are assistant sub-inspectors Mahadeva P (50), hailing from Gulbarga in Karnataka, and Madan Pal Singh (52), hailing from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and head constable Saju P (47) from Idukki in Kerala.

The gun battle took place around 11 am on Friday, June 28 close to a culvert near Keshkutul village when a joint team of the CRPF’s 199th battalion and state police was out on an area domination patrol on motorcycles.

Speaking to media persons Mahadeva’s son said,  “I last spoke to him day before yesterday. He had told me he’s coming on a 10-day leave for a function at home.”

During a search of the encounter spot, two pressure improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered, informed sources.

It is also gathered that Naxals looted an AK-47 rifle, its four magazines, one bulletproof jacket and a wireless set of security forces during the encounter.