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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tricolour Rises In Maoist HQ Foothills: Kawande's First Tryst With Independence Day
1 2 Nagpur: For the first time after 78 years of independence, the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' will reverberate through this once-impenetrable Maoist stronghold of Kawande on the foothills of Abujmarh hills — the tottering guerrilla headquarters. The towering black flags and red-stamped pamphlets have vanished, and Maoist boycott calls are a distant echo as the remote tribal hamlet on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border gears up to unfurl the tricolour for the first time. With the area flooded and not congenial for combat boots, police drones will hover in the sky to keep vigil on movements of the last standing guerrillas holed up in the forested, booby-trapped Abujmarh hills. Till a few years ago, Maoists would step out from their hideouts in Gadchiroli to observe August 15 as 'Kala Diwas' or Black Day, hoist black flags in villages and set ablaze tricolours. Here guns boomed, guerrilla kangaroo courts flourished and govt's footprint was non-existent. This year, Kawande in a true sense, will observe its first Independence Day. And this was possible after C-60 commandos and Central paramilitary troopers decimated Maoists on the foothills of Abujmarh and dismantled their 'janatana sarkar'. The Kawande police post, nestled in dense jungles of Bhamragarh taluka in Gadchiroli, will organise a historic flag hoisting on its newly opened premises in March this year. Setting up the post proved a game changer with Devendra Fadnavis becoming the first Maharashtra chief minister to step into the remotest tip of the Red Corridor. Constructed in an unbelievable 48 hours, the police post at Kawande, equipped with Wi-Fi, a water purification plant, and bulletproof fortifications, stands as a stamp of state authority in this remote corner. This was the seventh post opened in two years, signalling a steady erosion of Maoist influence in Gadchiroli. The hoisting of the tricolour will mark a symbolic triumph over decades of Maoist dominance here, replacing their black flags, said SP Gadchiroli Neelotpal. "Relentless operations by C-60 commandos and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were instrumental in this transformation," he said. The encounter in May, when 200 C-60 commandos dismantled a Maoist camp in Abujmarh, significantly weakened the rebels' Bhamragarh dalam, which operated in Kawande and surrounding areas. The operation yielded weapons, detonators, and Maoist literature, underscoring the rebels' intent to disrupt the region. Bloodstains at the site suggested casualties, though the Maoists fled, exploiting the rugged terrain. With security fortified, the region is poised for better roads, education, and health facilities, long denied by the rebels. As the tricolour rises, Kawande stands testimony to the resilience of local tribals and the courage of commandos, most of whom are sourced from Gadchiroli's tribal hamlets. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Braveheart Gadchiroli Cops, Joint CP Reddy Get President's Police Medals
Nagpur: On the eve of Independence Day, seven Gadchiroli police personnel were awarded the prestigious President's Police Medal for Gallantry for their extraordinary bravery during a 2017 Maoist ambush on the Hemalkasa-Karampalli Road. The awardees include assistant police inspector Netaji Bandgar, constables Manohar Mahaka, Manohar Pendam, Prakash Kannake, Atul Yegolpawar, Hidayat Khan, and posthumously, constable Suresh Telami. During the attack, Maoists detonated an IED and opened fire on a C-60 commando unit returning from Kothi to Bhamragad. These officers heroically protected injured colleagues and countered heavy gunfire, showcasing exceptional courage. In Nagpur, joint commissioner of police Navinchandra Reddy, assistant commissioner Narendra Hiware, police sub-inspectors Anil Brahmankar and Ramesh Tajane, and additional commissioner Pramod Shewale were also honoured with the President's Police Medal. While Reddy was honoured with the President's Medal for distinguished service, Shewale, Hiware, Brahmankar, and Tajane received the President's Medal for Meritorious Service. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Reddy, a 1994-batch Maharashtra Police officer, previously received the Gallantry Medal in 2000 and the President's Medal for Meritorious Service in 2018. His exemplary service includes stints in Gadchiroli's Maoist-affected areas, Mumbai, Pune, and as Amravati police commissioner (2022-25). In 2010, Reddy received the Director General of Police's commendation for distinguished service. Hiware, with 356 rewards, solved high-profile cases like the Khapa triple murder and Ganeshpeth's severed body in a lake, earning the Central Home Ministry's Best Investigation Award in 2019. Senior inspector of Wadi police station Rajesh Tatkare, Vaishali Kukde, Lakshmi Gokhale (Bharosa cell), Sheela Badole, and Sheela Khadse were proud recipients of the Special Service Medal. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
7 President's Police Gallantry Medals all awarded to Gadchiroli Police
The Government of India has announced the recipients of the President's Police Gallantry Medal for 2025, with all seven awardees from Maharashtra serving in the Gadchiroli district police force. The medals have been awarded in recognition of their exceptional bravery during a Maoist attack in 2017. Over the last five years, Gadchiroli police have received a total of three Shaurya Chakras, 210 Police Gallantry Medals, and eight medals for meritorious service. The recipients of the Police Gallantry Medal from the Gadchiroli Police force in 2025 are assistant police inspector Netaji Sukhdev Bandgar, police sub-inspector Manohar Kotla Mahaka, police head constable Manohar Lachma Pendam, constables Prakash Ishwar Kannake, Atul Satyanarayan Yegolpawar, Hidayat Sadulla Khan and martyr police constable Suresh Lingaji Telami (posthumously). In 2017, a C-60 team was returning to Bhamragad from Kothi in an MPV vehicle when Maoists detonated a landmine and attacked the police team. The officers and personnel responded to this cowardly attack with great courage and composure, Gadchiroli Police said. They protected the injured and trapped police personnel and themselves while returning fire against the intense Maoist assault. The President's Police Gallantry Medal has been announced in recognition of the bravery displayed by these officers and personnel during this landmine blast. The Superintendent of Police Neelotpal commended the recipients of the President's Police Gallantry Medal on behalf of the Gadchiroli Police force and extended his best wishes for their future service.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Commandos plan final assault on Maoist top guns in Abujmarh
1 2 Nagpur: Maharashtra's elite C-60 commandos are gearing up for a final assault on Abujmarh, tottering headquarters of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, buoyed by CM Devendra Fadnavis's historic visit to the area on Friday. In Odisha, police have intensified searches in Charmal forests of Sambalpur after reports about the influx of Maoists pushed out by security forces' offensives in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The spotlight, though, remains on Abujmarh, where Operation Clean-up aims to decimate the last vestiges of the military wing of the five-decade old Maoist movement in Maharashtra's eastern flank, say top sources in the state's anti-Naxalite apparatus. A top guerrilla on the radar is central committee member Mallojula Venugopal Reddy, alias Bhupathi or Sonu. Intelligence inputs suggested he was holed up deep inside the booby-trapped forested hills of Abujmarh and spotted a few km off Kawande -- the hamlet CM Fadnavis visited two days ago. Although Bhupathi had appealed to the Centre for a ceasefire and despite his wife Tarakka surrendering a year ago, the veteran may opt to fight till his last breath. Apart from the uncertain terrain, the battle-hardened C60 commandos are also concerned about rains which would make the hills unapproachable with numerous overflowing rivulets and nullahs. Other Maoists on the hit list are Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy alias Kosa, Madvi Hidma, Devuji alias Devji and CPI (Maoist) general secretary Ganapathy. They are frequently shifting bases in Abujmarh and in the three-state junction of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Another top leader, Prabhakar, head of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, is also a challenge for the forces. Kosa, a veteran revolutionary, and Bhupathi are considered the ideological fountainhead and brother of the late Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara Rao (Kishenji). Intelligence reports suggest the duo is desperately changing locations to evade capture, moving through the treacherous terrain of Abujmarh, a region known for its inaccessibility and strategic importance to the Maoists. Sources claimed the youngest among the last few politburo members, Hidma, heading "Battalion One" in Chhattisgarh, is likely to have suffered injuries in gun battles with forces last month and has gone underground. "All the top Telugu leaders of the Central Committee and Politburo are 60 years and above, which has made them unsuitable for this challenge," said a top cop. Pressure on top cadres intensified after 12 senior Maoists surrendered to Gadchiroli police on Friday, a significant setback for the outfit. The surrendered cadres, reportedly from the Maad area, are believed to have provided critical intelligence about the movements of Kosa and Bhupathi. In Odisha's Sambalpur, intelligence inputs suggested suspicious movement of some rebels from Chhattisgarh, prompting the searches. "It is not fully confirmed if the rebels dispersed and are trying to shift their bases. Considering their dwindling numbers in Odisha, it is not likely that they will mount offensive action against forces," said a senior police officer. Earlier, DGP Y B Khurania said Odisha police are working hard to nip Left-wing extremism in the bud, reiterating the police effort to meet the Centre's target of eliminating LWE violence by March 2026.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fadnavis first Maha CM to set foot on Abujmarh foothills, says Kawande hamlet is bridge to deliver governance
1 2 3 4 Gadchiroli: In a historic step, Devendra Fadnavis on Friday became the first Maharashtra chief minister to set foot on the foothills of Abujmarh, the once booby-trapped Maoist headquarters and the nerve-centre of the self-styled 'jantana sarkar' of the guerrillas. He touched down at Kawande, a remote village on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, where the Maoists till a year ago, ran a parallel administration, collected taxes, and operated kangaroo courts. Kawande has now emerged as a symbol of transformation of Gadchiroli, marked by the dismantling of Maoist influence and infrastructure and its integration into mainstream governance, say security experts. Fadnavis also oversaw the surrender of 12 hardened Maoists, carrying rewards exceeding ₹1 crore in Gadchiroli. However, top Maoist ideologue Bhupathi alias Sonu, who had appealed to the Centre for a ceasefire, remained elusive. Lauding security forces, the CM said, "I appeal to the guerrillas still holed up in the forests to give up arms." Fadnavis also attended a collective wedding ceremony of 13 former Maoists, blessing the couples as they embraced mainstream life. Security experts told TOI that the mass surrender was testament to relentless efforts of Gadchiroli's anti-Naxalite security apparatus, which built police outposts like Kawande in 24 hours deep inside the liberated zones of guerrillas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Addressing the elite C-60 commandos, Fadnavis said, "Kawande is not just a police post, but a bridge to deliver governance to the people. The establishment of six security outposts in two years, transformed areas once under the jantana sarkar's shadow into centres of state authority. Our fight against Naxalism is in its final phase and we have set a deadline of March 2026 to wipe out the menace," he said, crediting Shah's stringent measures and the leadership of the Gadchiroli police. To bolster security infrastructure, 19 vehicles, including bulletproof ones, were handed over to the police, funded through the District Planning and Development Committee. The commandos too have been armed with advanced AK-103 rifles and ASMI pistols. Coordination with local communities and focus on intelligence-driven operations have neutralised 28 Maoists, arrested 31, and 44 have surrendered in 18 months. Fadnavis also conducted a drone inspection of a 120-meter-long interstate bridge over the Korma Nala on State Highway 380, with a ₹10.7 crore budget, aimed at connecting Maharashtra with Chhattisgarh. This infrastructure, monitored by DIG Ankit Goyal, will enhance accessibility in areas once isolated by Maoist control. At a beneficiary meet, Fadnavis engaged with locals, distributed benefits under schemes like Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
