'Though policemen returned fire, they were soon overpowered by highly militarised PLGA fighters,' the officer said.

Maoists walked away with weapons of the killed policeman.

The death of Choubey, who had earned reputation as one of the sharp and daredevil police officers in the state, has shaken up the force. All high-ranking officials, including Director General of Police Vishwaranjan and Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar, rushed to the attack site.

Several injured were admitted to the Rajnandgaon district hospital while a few others were airlifted to state capital Raipur for advanced medical attention.

Chhattisgarh's opposition Congress sought imposition of the President's rule in the state saying the Bharatiya Janata Party government had failed to check Maoist militancy.

Chief Minister Raman Singh cancelled his trip to Nagpur scheduled for Sunday afternoon after the attack.

The central government had banned the Communist Party of India (Maoist) last month after the ultras came to control Lalgarh area in West Bengal.