State's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Konta Division) Akash Rao Girepunje, a 2013-batch state police service officer, was martyred in the blast
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A senior police official was killed and some other personnel were injured when a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites exploded in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, police said, reported news agency PTI.
State's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Konta Division) Akash Rao Girepunje, a 2013-batch state police service officer, was martyred in the blast, reported PTI.
Sharma also said Naxalites should shun violence, join the mainstream and contribute to the development of the society.
The ASP and other personnel were out on foot patrolling when the incident took place near Dondra village on Konta-Errabor road, an official said, reported PTI.
The patrolling was launched in view of a bandh called by Naxalites on Tuesday, he said.
The ASP, some other police officials and personnel sustained injuries in the blast, the official said.
All the injured personnel were shifted to Konta Hospital where the ASP succumbed to his injuries, he said.
"Girepunje ji was martyred in the blast in the Konta area of Sukma. He was a brave officer and was a gallantry awardee," Deputy CM Sharma told PTI Videos in Nagpur.
If a situation for talks (between Naxalites and the government) is created somehow, it ends with such incidents (referring to the blast), he said.
The government has clarified that it does not want to fire a single bullet, but they (Naxalites) should join the mainstream, take benefits of the rehabilitation scheme and contribute to the development of the society and the nation, Sharma said.
On Saturday, seven Naxalites, including two high-ranking leaders, were killed in a major anti-Naxal operation conducted by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district between June 5 and 7, officials informed, reported ANI.
According to officials, the operation, led jointly by the Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) in the dense forest region of the National Park area, also resulted in the seizure of a large cache of arms, ammunition, and communication equipment.
Inspector General (IG) of Police, Bastar Range, P Sundarraj, said that so far, a total of 7 bodies of Naxal cadres have been recovered by security forces during the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the National Park area of Bijapur district. These include the bodies of Central Committee Member Gautam @ Sudhakar and Bhaskar, a Telangana State Committee Member, reported ANI.
"It is worth mentioning that, as part of the continued anti-Naxal operations in the National Park area of Bijapur district, a total of 7 Naxal bodies have been recovered following multiple encounters that took place on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of June 2025," he added, reported ANI.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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