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Time of India
8 hours ago
- 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
a day ago
- 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 !
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
4 Maoists neutralised in Maha's Gadchiroli
Bhopal: Four Maoists were neutralised during an encounter with security forces along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border in Gadchiroli district on Friday, officials said. The operation was set in motion on Thursday afternoon, following solid intelligence indicating the presence of Maoist groups near the newly established Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kawande. Acting on this information, 12 C-60 teams, consisting of 300 commandos, along with a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) unit, embarked on the mission from Kawande and Nelgunda, advancing toward the Indravati river despite relentless rain. As dawn broke on Friday, security forces were systematically securing the area and searching the riverbanks when they came under sudden and indiscriminate gunfire from Maoists, the officials said. The C-60 commandos promptly responded, triggering an intense exchange of fire that lasted close to two hours. Once the battle subsided, a thorough sweep of the area resulted in the discovery of four Maoist bodies, said the officials. The search also yielded a range of weapons and supplies, including an automatic self-loading rifle, two .303 rifles, a Bharmar gun, walkie-talkies, camping gear, and Maoist literature. This encounter comes on the heels of a significant crackdown in adjoining Chhattisgarh just two days earlier, where security forces decisively eliminated 27 Maoists, including their top commander, Basavaraju. However, a brave soldier lost his life in the fierce gun battle. On Friday, a Maoist was killed in an encounter in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh. The back-to-back operations highlight the ongoing battle against insurgency in the region and underscore the determination of security forces to maintain stability in affected areas. Authorities received intelligence suggesting the presence of a large number of Maoists in the dense forests of Kistaram. Acting upon the information, a joint task force comprising the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action was deployed for a search operation. As security personnel arrived at the location, the Maoists opened fire, prompting an immediate retaliation.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bloody gunfight in Indravati river, 300 C60 commandos lay siege to island, wipe out oldest ‘dalam'
Nagpur: In one of the fiercest encounters that erupted in a river, not in the booby-trapped jungles, Maharashtra's 300 C-60 commandos waded through the Indravati and gunned down the Bhamragarh dalam commander and three other guerrillas, including two women rebels on Friday. The gunfight continued for three hours with commandos in waist-deep water moving fast to lay siege to a dry island patch in the middle of the river, which separates Maharashtra from Chhattisgarh. Besides engaging guerrillas in a bloody riverine battle, the daring operation wiped out one of the oldest armed formations of People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) in Gadchiroli district, which had dug in heels for almost four decades. The operation led by 12 rain-drenched teams of commandos, who were mobilised from Maharashtra's frontier police post of Kawande. While bodies of the dalam commander and three cadres, including two women, were recovered from the site, two other rebels are still missing. Security forces, under additional SP M Ramesh, waited in ambush for 36 hours in pounding rain at night, before surrounding the island in the riverbed where the Bhamragarh dalam guerrillas were camping. A team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was also present to assist the C-60 commandos. This siege triggered intermittent firing before bodies of the Maoists were spotted on the ground. "We had intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists near Kawande, where we opened our last post. We launched the operation despite inclement weather at daybreak. It was a strategic success of our team," said SP Gadchiroli, Neelotpal, adding he's still probing the whereabouts of two missing cadres. A self-loading rifle, two .303 rifles, one Bharmar rifle, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition were seized from the encounter site. With the Bhamragarh dalam wrapped up by security forces in the latest face-off, Maharashtra is now left with around seven members of the Gatta dalam, three of Aheri, and about 15 members of last standing formation of the battle-hardened Company No. 10 in Maharashtra, which is based deep inside Abujmarh. Commandos are now pushing to decimate Company No. 10. The action came shortly after Maoist general secretary, Basavaraju, was gunned down along with 26 others in their stronghold. The decimation of the Bhamragarh dalam dealt a deadly blow to the Maoist movement in Maharashtra, with the rebel base in Gadchiroli totally cut off from their guerrilla headquarters of Abujmarh. Police sources stated the Bhamragarh dalam members had narrowly escaped a week ago at a location inside Abujmarh from where they abandoned their weapons and fled. Commander Sonnu Masa Pungati, known for his expertise in improvised explosive device (IED), was among those killed, along with Ashok Wadde, who had 17 cases against him, including five murders. Pungati and Wadde were residents of Kawande hamlet, which was once part of the Maoist's liberated corridor. Woman guerrilla Binjyo Hoyami, a Chhattisgarh native, who had five murder cases against her was neutralised along with her comrade Karuna Pandu, alias Mamita, resident of Gadchiroli. "We repeatedly appealed to Maoists to give up arms and return to the mainstream. With the loss of public support and military prowess, only 40 cadres are currently left in Maharashtra," said Neelotpal, adding Maharashtra would meet the March 2026 deadline set by the Union home minister. The operation was also monitored by DIG(Naxal range) Ankit Goyal. IG, State Anti-Naxal Operation Cell, Sandip Patil, stated the opening of the last post at Kawande led to the recent success. "Kawande was their last bastion on the side of Bhamragarh on the banks of Indravati. We dismantled their stone memorials and removed IEDs from the area, and ousted the 'janatana sarkar' to usher peace and development," said IG Patil. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- New Indian Express
4 Naxals killed in Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border gunfight
MUMBAI: Four Maoists were on Friday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district adjoining Chhattisgarh. Based on intelligence inputs about presence of Maoists on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, an operation was launched on Thursday, police said. 'A dozen C-60 parties (300 commandos) and a component of the CRPF launched the operation from Kawande and Nelgunda areas towards the banks of the Indravati amidst heavy rains,' a police official said. On Friday, when the cordon was being laid and river banks were being searched, Maoists started indiscriminate firing on C-60 commandos, leading to a retaliation by security forces, said the official. Exchange of fire continued for almost two hours and a search of the area by forces led to the recovery of bodies of four Maoists, he added. The operation was led by M Ramesh, ASP, administration. An automatic self-loading rifle, two .303 rifles, a Bharmar gun, walkie talkies, camping material and Naxal literature were recovered from the spot, police said.
