A Communist Party of India (Maoist) commander was found dead in the forest of a village in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh under mysterious circumstances. The body was identified as Deva allies Tirri Madkami. He was a member of the Katekalyan area committee of Maoist, which has been instrumental in executing several major attacks.

On Tuesday, The Dantewada police received information about the dead body of an unknown person lying in the forest of Jiakorta near Bhusaras Vally along the border of Dantewada-Sukma district, around 400 km away from the capital Raipur. A joint team of the CRPF’s 230th battalion and police reached the spot and found the body. Weapons, a bag and a water bottle were recovered near the body, an official said.

“The exact cause of death will be known once the post-mortem report arrives. Infighting within the Naxalite group or anti-people activities of Madkami may have resulted in his death,” said the Dantewada, SP, Siddharth Tiwari. The police were probing all possible angles, he added.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.