Latest news with #Ankal
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Architect of Jambhulkheda blast, which claimed lives of 15 jawans, arrested
1 2 Nagpur: In a significant breakthrough, Gadchiroli police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) arrested a hardcore Maoist, Ankal alias Mannu Sulge Pallo, deputy commander of the Korchi Dalam, on Friday from Kawande jungle, near Maharashtra's last police post. He had a reward of Rs six lakh on his head. This post gained prominence after the visit of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last month. The 28-year-old Maoist, a resident of Kawande in Bharmaragad tehsil, was nabbed while conducting reconnaissance to orchestrate subversive activities in the region. Sulge, who was underground since 2020, was a key figure in the 2019 Jambhulkheda blast in Kurkheda which killed 15 police personnel. The NIA took over the probe into the blast. Sulge's active involvement in the attack and other violent anti-state operations made him a high-value target, with the Maharashtra govt announcing a reward for his capture. Sulge's arrest marks a major success in Gadchiroli police's anti-Maoist operations, with 104 Maoists apprehended since January 2022. The operation was executed by a joint team comprising the Special Operations Squad, Kawande police post, and CRPF's 37th Battalion C-Company. Acting on intelligence, the teams spotted a suspicious individual in the Kawande jungle, leading to Sulge's swift apprehension. Further interrogation revealed his role in multiple violent incidents, including a 2021 encounter in Khobrameda jungle. He faces charges in five cases, including three encounters and two murders. A Kurkheda court has remanded him to seven days of police custody. Sulge's Maoist journey began in 2012 as a member of the National Indravati Park Company in Chhattisgarh, followed by stints in Bharmaragad and Korchi Dalams, rising to deputy commander by 2017. Since 2020, he operated covertly along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, gathering intelligence for Maoist activities. The operation was led under the guidance of senior officials, including Inspector General (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sandip Patil, Deputy Inspector General Ankit Goyal, and Gadchiroli SP Neelotpal, who vowed to intensify anti-Maoist operations.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Notorious Maoist planning sabotage in Kawande arrested by Gadchiroli Police, CRPF
In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Gadchiroli, the police, along with the CRPF, arrested a notorious Maoist operative from the dense forests of Kawande on Friday. The accused, identified as Ankal alias Mannu Sulge Pallo, a 28-year-old sub-commander of the Korchi Dalam, was allegedly planning sabotage in the newly established Kawande police jurisdiction. Ankal's name has long figured in police records as a hardened cadre. He was also actively involved in the deadly landmine blast in the Jambhulkheda forest area in 2019, which killed 15 jawans. A reward of Rs 6 lakh had been announced by the Maharashtra government for his capture. According to officials, the arrest took place during an anti-Maoist operation deep in the Kawande forest area, under the Bhamragad sub-division. Two teams from the Special Operations Squad, personnel from Kawande police station, and jawans from C-Company of the CRPF's 37th Battalion were involved in the mission. Following his arrest, Ankal was taken brought to Gadchiroli police headquarters for further questioning. What emerged during the interrogation confirmed the security forces' suspicions. Ankal, who had been secretly operating in the Kawande forest area, was reportedly conducting reconnaissance for future attacks. He was allegedly gathering information about police movements with the intent to sabotage. Further investigations revealed that he had been staying in the region since 2020, hiding his identity while maintaining links with Maoist networks across the Maharashtra–Chhattisgarh border. He has been remanded to police custody for seven days for further investigation. Officials confirmed that five serious offences are registered against him as of June 28, including three cases linked to encounters with police and two involving murder. His arrest has been seen as a blow to Maoist operations in the region. According to police, Ankal's journey into the Maoist ranks began in 2012 when he joined the Nib Company in Chhattisgarh. After spending nearly five years there, he was transferred to the Bhamragad Dalam. By 2017, he had taken on the role of a sub-commander in the Korchi Dalam. Since then, he has been involved in several Maoist activities while working underground. The operation that led to his arrest was part of a larger coordinated effort, carried out under the guidance of several senior officers, including Special Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sandeep Patil, DIG of Gadchiroli Range Ankit Goyal, DIG (Operations) CRPF Ajay Kumar Sharma, SP Gadchiroli Neelotpal, and other senior police and CRPF officials. The field operation was executed by PSI Mandar Shinde, the in-charge of Kawande Police Station, along with the Special Operations Team and CRPF jawans. Superintendent of Police Neelotpal reaffirmed the police department's commitment to intensifying anti-Maoist operations in the region. He also extended an appeal to Maoist cadres to abandon violence and reintegrate into society through the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy, urging them to 'choose the path of peace and dignity.'
