Killed 15 Naxalites were PLGA members: CRPF

Fifteen Naxalites who were killed last month in anti-Naxal operation in Sukma were members of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), said Devendra Chouhan; Inspector General (IG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference here, Chouhan said that an audio clip released by a top Naxal leader named Vikalp has now confirmed that 15 Maoists killed in an anti-Naxal operation between May 12 and May 16 were actually members of the PLGA.

"The security forces launched an anti-Naxal operation between May 12, 2017 and May 16 in Sukma district. The operation by the CRPF COBRA, District Reserve Group (DRG) and local police killed at least 15 Naxalites but their bodies were not recovered," said Chouhan, adding that "the security forces gauged the number of the killed Naxalites on the basis of blood stains and intercept of seized wireless sets".

He added that "initially the Naxalites rebuffed the security forces' claim but now a top Maoist, Vikalp, in an audio tape has admitted that their 15 associates were killed between May 11 and May 16. Though, he claimed that these encounters were fake and the killed ones were innocent adivasis".

The CRPF IG said that Maoists' accusation is false as "the journalists who visited the areas where anti-Naxal operation was launched have come to know that the security forces didn't kill any villager".