A central committee member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, said Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.

The member identified as had a bounty of Rs 40 lakh on his head, according to The Hindu. The central committee is the highest decision-making body of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

The gunfight began after a joint team of security forces acted on intelligence reports indicating the presence of suspected Maoist leaders in the Indravati National Park area, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P Sundarraj told PTI.

The Special Task Force, District Reserve Guard, both units of the Chhattisgarh Police and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action – a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force – were involved in the operation, Sundarraj added.

He said that an AK-47 rifle, along with a large cache of explosives, weapons and ammunition, was recovered during the operation.

Sai stated on Thursday that apart from Sudhakar, “” suspected Maoists were killed during the security operation. He did not confirm the number of suspected Maoists killed.

Sudhakar allegedly led the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist)’s technology team and the Regional Political School, an ideological training school for recruits, Sundarraj told...