Chhattisgarh: Police constable, Maoist killed in encounter in Kanker

Kanker: A police constable and a Naxal were killed during an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Sunday, officials said.
According to police, the encounter broke out between Maoists and the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a unit of the Chhattisgarh Police, in a forest near Kanker's Hidur village under the Chhotebethiya police station during a search operation on Sunday morning.
The police constable, identified as Ramesh Kurethi, lost his life after being shot during the encounter.
The operation was launched based on specific input about the presence of Naxalites in the Hidur forest, after which a team of police left for an operation, the official said.
According to IG Bastar Range P Sundarraj, the gunfight between security forces and Naxalites continued for about an hour.
"In the encounter, constable Ramesh Kurethi lost his life after being shot," he said.
Constable Ramesh Kurethi from Bastar Fighters - a wing of state police, was a resident of Sangam village of Kanker's Pakhanjhor.
During the search in the encounter, the body of a male Maoist and an AK-47 rifle were also recovered from the spot.
A search is going on in the surrounding area by the police force, BSF, and DRG.
Further details are awaited.