Raipur, June 6 -- Senior Maoist leader Sudhakar was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police officials said on Thursday, days after CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70) was shot dead in a separate operation. A joint operation of personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) was launched following specific inputs about the presence of senior Maoists leaders in the Indravati National Park area of the district, the officials said. "The intelligence had indicated the presence of Gautam alias Sudhakar, Telangana State Committee member Bandi Prakash, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member Papa Rao, and other armed Maoists in the dense forest zone," Bastar range inspector general of police Sunderaj P said. "During the operation, an exchange of fire ensued in which Sudhakar was killed," the IGP said. "His identity was confirmed based on intelligence and forensic inputs," IG added. While his official name was Narasimha Chalam, the Maoist leader was more popularly known by his aliases, Sudhakar and Gautam. He was believed to be around 66-years-old and hailed from Pragadavaram village in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Before joining the Maoist movement decades ago, he gave up a course in Ayurvedic medicine....