Bhubaneswar

Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike was among four red rebels killed in a gun-battle with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district on Thursday, police said.

CPI(Maoist) central committee member Uike, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head, was the chief of the banned outfit in Odisha, a senior officer heading anti-Naxal operations in the state said.

The gun-battle took place in a forest in Chakapad police station area, he said.

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"Four Maoists were killed in the gunfight. One of them was identified as 69-year-old Ganesh Uike, who is also known by his aliases Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru and Rupa. He was a native of Pullemala village under Chendur mandal in Telangana's Nalgonda district," he said.

The identity of the other three Naxals, including two women, was yet to be ascertained, the officer said.