Notorious Maoist Leader Responsible For Multiple Murders And Extortion Killed In Sukma Encounter

On Tuesday (27 July), security forces encountered and killed a Maoist in the Sukma district of the Bastar region in south Chhattisgarh. The Maoist had 15 cases against him, including three murder cases.

Sodi Dula, a Maoists' Konta area action committee member, was aged around 35-40. He had nine cases of attempted murder and three cases of murder, including one of security personnel and two of civilians.

Sukma Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Chavan revealed some details: Dula killed two villagers in 2018 and 2022, labelling them as police informers. He extorted money from five villages and businessmen to fund the activities of the banned CPI (Maoist) party. He was involved in four arson cases targeting vehicles used for development work. He also threatened school students and coerced them into procuring materials for the party.

The encounter occurred at approximately 1 pm in the forest of Bodgubli village within the jurisdiction of Arrabore police station. The location is situated near the border of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, around 70 kilometres away from the Sukma city area.

The District Reserve Guard (DRG), local police, and two battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) undertook a joint operation based on information about the presence of Maoists in the area.

Officials reported that the security forces engaged in an encounter with approximately a dozen Maoists during the search operation. The firing ceased after 15-20 minutes, and the body of Dula, who carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head, was discovered.

“A few more Maoists were injured but managed to run away from the spot. We found explosive materials, a firearm, and other Maoist materials from the spot,” SP Chavan said.