Twelve of the 16 Naxalites killed in a clash in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district have been identified as notorious members of the group, with a total bounty of Rs 3.13 crore. This includes a central committee member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), a police official confirmed on Thursday.

One of the most significant individuals killed was Chalpathi, also known as Jairam, who was a member of both the central committee and the Odisha state committee. He had a combined bounty of Rs 90 lakh on his head from the states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, the official stated.

This encounter marked the first time a member of the central committee, the highest decision-making body of the banned group, was killed in Chhattisgarh, the official added.

The gunfight occurred in a forest area under the jurisdiction of the Mainpur police station (Gariaband) near the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. A total of 16 Naxalites, including six women, were killed in the encounter with security forces.

The three-day operation, which involved units from the E-30 (a special police unit in Gariaband), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), finished on Wednesday.

"Of the killed cadres, 12 have been identified. These 12 cadres carried a cumulative reward of Rs 3.13 crore in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. These include Chalpathi, also known as Ramachandran, Pratap Reddy, Appa Rao and Ravi, a resident of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. He carried a reward of Rs 40 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 25 lakh in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, "Inspector General of Police (Raipur Range) Amresh Mishra said.

Two other prominent members of the Maoist group were identified as Jairam, also known as Guddu (50), who was a member of the Odisha state committee and served as the secretary of the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Naupada (DGN) division. Another identified individual was Satyam Gavde (43), the head of the DGN division. Both were from Chhattisgarh and had a combined bounty of Rs 65 lakh each across three states, according to the Inspector General (IG).

"Alok alias Munna, a divisional committee member, and Mannu, a member of military company no.1 in Maad area, carried a bounty of Rs 18 lakh and Rs 14 lakh, respectively, in three states. Four slain ultras have been identified as Maoist area committee members Shankar, Kalmu Deve alias Kalla, Manju and Rinki. They carried a collective reward of Rs 13 lakh each," he stated.

Additionally, three other individuals were identified as Sukhram, a party member, and Rame Oyam (28) and Jaini (24), both part of the Mainpur Local Guerilla Squad (LGS). The IG added that they had a reward of Rs 3 lakh each on their heads. Authorities are continuing their efforts to confirm the identities of four other deceased members.

"At least 17 automatic and other firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and one Self Loading Rifle (SLR), were recovered from the encounter site. Besides, more than two dozen improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Naxalites were neutralised by security forces during the operation," he said.

This year, at least 42 Naxalites have been killed in various gunfights in Chhattisgarh. In contrast, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh last year.