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Time of India
a day 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
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Four Maoists killed in encounter along Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border
NEW DELHI: Four Maoists were killed in an encounter with police along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border in Gadchiroli on Friday, reported news agency PTI citing officials. "Based on credible intelligence received about the presence of Maoist formations on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border near the recently opened FOB Kawande, an Ops led by Addnl SP Ramesh and 12 C60 parties (300 commandoes) and a component of CRPF was launched at noon yesterday from Kawande and Nelgunda towards the bank of Indravati amidst heavy rain in the area," Gadchiroli Police said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It further added: "This morning, Maoists started indiscriminate firing on C60 commandos, which led to effective retaliation by the forces. Intermittent exchange of fire continued for almost two hours, leading to the neutralisation of 4 Maoists." The encounter is part of the government's effort to eliminate the red terror, as it comes days after a big breakthrough in the anti-Naxal operations that led to the elimination of topmost Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, better known as Basavaraju, along with 26 battle-hardened communist guerrillas in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur. The 70-year-old was the mastermind behind some of the deadliest Maoist attacks, including the 2010 killing of 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and the 2013 Jheeram Ghati massacre of 29, including several state Congress leaders. The killing of Basavaraju, the general secretary (the topmost rank) of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), has not only rendered the organiation headless, but also taken away its chief military strategist who was known for his technical prowess, operational planning and violent disposition. With 'Basavaraju's elimination' 10 months ahead of the March 2026 deadline set by the government to eliminate red terror, the end could come much sooner, according to a source. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the security forces for their 'remarkable success', while Union home minister Amit Shah called it a 'landmark achievement' in the government's anti-Naxal campaign. Basavaraju's killing is the result of a massive operation that was launched on May 19 in the dense forests of Abhujmad, located at the tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh. A fierce gunfight ensued between the security forces and Maoist fighters, leading to the death of 27 Naxals on May 21.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, frontrunner to lead CPI (Maoist), may also give up arms
NAGPUR: CPI (Maoist) central committee (CC) member Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu (69), who was considered among the frontrunners for the banned party's top post after the gunning down of its general secretary Basavaraju, is likely to surrender before Gadchiroli police, top sources in anti-Naxal apparatus in Maharashtra said. The Maoist veteran, a Telugu Brahmin with a BCom degree who had appealed to govt for a ceasefire, has lost his agility and leads a motley group which is no match for the elite C60 commandos of Maharashtra or Grey Hounds of Telangana. He is the elder brother of Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, who was eliminated in an encounter near Kolkata in 2011. Sonu is likely to lay down arms and join his wife Tarakka, who surrendered before Maharashtra police late last year and is currently staying at Gadchiroli police's rehabilitation camp. On Thursday, CM Devendra Fadnavis hinted at large-scale surrender of rebels in Gadchiroli, which sources claim is a pointer to the possible laying down of arms by an entire 'platoon' commandeered by Sonu. "Sonu is likely to be holed up in a forested hillock at Abujmarh. He saw the end coming a month ago and called for a truce," said an official source, adding that all cadres should immediately approach govt or security apparatus and surrender to avoid fatalities. "Forces are prodding deeper and moving fast. The tables have turned, the guerrillas are under siege, they can no longer ambush with mines or grenades," said a senior police officer. Though there's speculation about Sonu or his younger comrade Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji (60) heading CPI (Maoist), intelligence agencies feel the veteran Maoist doesn't have age on his side, and is inclined for truce. Apart from the tottering leadership, security agencies pointed out that the tribal cadres in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra are rudderless. "There's strong resentment among lower-rung tribal cadres against Telugu domination of CC and the way they force tribals to do menial jobs or push them into the frontlines," said an official, adding arrogance and rigidity of Telugu leadership in CC has led to their decimation. Sources said there's a possibility of an exodus now, with tribal cadres ready to abandon the Maoist cause and return to the mainstream, rather than get neutralised. " Telugu hierarchy in CPI(Maoist) will not allow tribal cadres to lead the movement, even though they don't marshal the force or lead from the front," said a senior official who had interrogated a surrendered guerrilla.
