Bhubaneswar: Top Maoist leader Gautam alias Sudhakar was killed in an exchange of fire between security forces and Naxals in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh today.

Sudhakar, a Central Committee member of the Maoists, was carrying a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh on his head.

The encounter took place in the National Park area of Bijapur. There were intelligence inputs regarding the presence of some senior Naxal cadres in the area.

Soon, a joint team of the District Reserved Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) launched a joint operation in the forested area.

Am exchange of fire ensued between the security forces and the Naxals. During the encounter, Sudhakar, one of the most wanted Maoist leaders, was killed, reports said.  

One AK-47 rifle along with arms and ammunition was also recovered during the operation.

Sudhakar, whose original name is Narasimha Chalam, was a resident of Pragadavaram village in West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh.

He was in-charge of Revolutionary Political School (RePOS) and Central Regional Bureau (CRB) of the Maoist movement, reports said.

Sudhakar was responsible for several violent incidents that resulted in the death of many security personnel as well as civilians, they added.

It is worth mentioning here that CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju and 26 other Naxals were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh on May 21.

Basavaraju had taken charge from incumbent CPI (Maoist) general secretary Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganpathy in 2017. Ganpathy had been the supreme leader of the CPI (Maoist) for 25 years.