NEW DELHI: Days after the death of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, official sources on Thursday said that another senior Maoist leader was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. Maoists’ central committee member Gautam alias Sudhakar, carrying a Rs 40 lakh bounty, was gunned down by security forces in a latest gunfight, official sources said. However, officials have yet to announce Sudhakar’s death. A senior police official posted in Bastar Range said that the gunfight broke out when a joint team of security personnel was carrying out anti-Naxalite operation in the forest area of Indravati national park. Special task force, district reserve guard, both units of the Chhattisgarh police, and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action – an elite unit of CRPF) were carrying out the operation jointly. The official added that the operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of Sudhakar in the region. Telangana state committee member Bandi Prakash, Dandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC) member Pappa Rao, and a few other armed cadres were also present, as per the inputs, the official said. “Preliminary reports suggest a strong possibility of major success for security forces in the operation,” he said, adding that search operation is under way.