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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh: Heroic Bastar cops get out-of-turn promotions for anti-Maoist operations
RAIPUR: In recognition of their bravery in combating Maoists, Chhattisgarh govt has granted out-of-turn promotions to 295 police personnel. An order issued by DGP Arun Deo Gautam says that police personnel who displayed exceptional courage during anti-Naxal operations across the region are being rewarded with accelerated promotions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Many havildars have become ASIs and promotions were given to lower and middle rank personnel from district police forces, the Special Task Force (STF), and intelligence units. According to the order, 206 constables have been promoted as head constables, 37 head constables as Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), 15 ASIs as Sub-Inspectors (SIs), 16 SIs as inspectors, three platoon commanders to as company commanders, six assistant platoon commanders as platoon commanders and three 12 personnel were promoted as assistant platoon commanders. Sharing the order copy on social media, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, said, "Hearty congratulations to 295 police personnel of Chhattisgarh Police, who are working with valour, courage and dedication in Maoist-affected areas, for their out-of-turn promotion." "All the security personnel have displayed indomitable courage and bravery while fighting in the frontline against Maoists to protect the Constitution and democracy. With the strength of the arms of soldiers, the future will definitely be filled with development, happiness, peace and new enthusiasm in Bastar," Sharma stated. There's only one jawan among those promoted, who's posted in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in the Durg division, while all others are posted in Bastar division in different capacities in police, Special Task Force and intelligence branch. Bastar division comprises seven districts -- Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Kanker. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking to reporters, Deputy CM Sharma said, 'The era of Red terror in Bastar is coming to an end, thanks to the unmatched bravery and unwavering commitment of the state's security forces.' Chhattisgarh police records stated that 425 Maoists have been killed in encounters, 1,444 arrested, and 1,406 have surrendered. These individuals had a combined bounty of Rs 22 crore on their heads.
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
How Chhattisgarh police cremated bodies of Maoist leader and cadres without their families' consent
On May 27, as the body of the Maoist general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao went up in flames in an Adivasi graveyard surrounded by a police cordon in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur, his younger brother Nambala Ramprasad stood enraged outside a local police station. 'After death, the body of the deceased belongs to the family,' he said. 'What Chhattisgarh police has done is very wrong and unacceptable.' Ramprasad, who lives in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, had rushed to Chhattisgarh on May 22, a day after news broke that the state police had killed 72-year-old Rao, better known as Basavaraju, the top leader of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and 26 others in a security operation. Ramprasad even secured an order from the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing that the police hand over the bodies of those killed to their families after the postmortems had been done. However, instead of handing over Rao's body to his brother, Chhattisgarh Police cremated him and seven others, claiming in a statement that they had no 'clear legal claimants'. The statement, released after the cremation on Tuesday, did not identify those cremated, barring Rao, and Kosi alias Ungi, a Maoist cadre from Komatpalli village in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. This left many anxious relatives in the lurch. Since May 22, the relatives of five deceased Maoist insurgents from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been waiting in Narayanpur district, equipped with three ambulances with deep freeze containers to carry their bodies back. 'We do not know whose bodies have been cremated, as the bodies were not even shown to us – not even a glimpse,' said Dara Saraiyya, the uncle of Sajja Venkata Nageswara Rao, another senior Maoist leader, known as Naveen alias Madhu, who originally hailed from Prakasam district. Officially, the Chhattisgarh police through its statement maintained that 'there were no legal claimants' to seven of the eight bodies cremated. But, according to some media reports, senior officials feared that funerals of the Maoists could be turned into public events used for the 'glorification of their propaganda' and hence acted to prevent such possibilities. Hours after the cremation, Nambala Ramprasad went to the office of the Narayanpur police superintendent the next morning to request that the ashes of his brother be given to him. He was asked to sign a declaration stating that the family was unable to provide legal documents to establish a relationship with the deceased, and the body had decomposed and posed a risk of disease spread, therefore, the police and administration were allowed to cremate the body in Narayanpur. Ramprasad refused to sign the declaration and left for Srikakulam with the empty ambulance. Matter taken to court On May 21, as soon as he heard the news that his brother had been killed in a security operation in the forests of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, Nambala Ramprasad, 61, went to the local Kotabommali police station in Srikakulam district. He was told to travel to Chhattisgarh to collect the body of his brother. The next day, when he reached Jagdalpur, the regional headquarters of Bastar region, he received a phone call from the police superintendent of Srikakulam district. Rao said the officer asked him not to bring the body back to the district, citing instructions from the Andhra Pradesh government. Four other people traveling along with Rao, including the driver of the vehicle, were threatened through their local village councillors, he alleged. Expecting trouble, Ramprasad returned to Andhra Pradesh the next day. His elder brother Nambala Dilleshwar filed a writ petition at the High Court in Amaravati. He asked for the body of his brother and that of Sajja Venkata Nageswara Rao, another Maoist cadre from Andhra Pradesh who was killed in the encounter, to be handed over to their family members. The Andhra Pradesh advocate general as well as the Chhattisgarh advocate general objected to the petition, arguing that the petitioners should approach the High Court in Chhattisgarh as the bodies were in the custody of the authorities in that state. The deputy solicitor general, appearing on behalf of the Central Reserve Police Force, said that force had no role in the matter but submitted that the reason for not handing over the bodies was to avoid a law and order situation that could arise 'under the guise of performing final rites'. Nevertheless, the Chhattisgarh advocate general submitted before the court that after completion of the postmortem 'the bodies would be handed over to the relatives of the deceased'. Setting the argument of jurisdiction aside, the High Court dismissed the writ petition with the directions that the bodies be handed over to the families in compliance with the submissions made by the advocate general of Chhattisgarh. Apart from Nambala Keshava Rao and Sajja Venkata Nageswara Rao, another deceased insurgent from Andhra Pradesh was 35-year-old Sangeeta Saipogu from Kurnool district. Two other deceased Maoists belonged to Telangana – 35-year-old Bhumika alias Vijayalaxmi from Ranga Reddy district and 30-year-old Rakesh Saraiyya alias Naveen from Hanamkonda district. A long wait In Chhattisgarh, the relatives struggled to get access to the bodies. 'We were shunted between hospital and the police thana, asked to produce papers and family photographs,' said Dara Saraiyya. He added that his nephew Rakesh had left home to join the insurgent movement in 2016, 'so we have no family photograph as such'. Displaying the authorisation letters approved by the local police station, Ramprasad said: 'We have all the necessary papers from local authorities to show we are blood relatives of the deceased.' He added: 'I have not met my brother for the last 45 years. How can I get them a family photograph?' For five days, the families waited but no senior police officer came forward to explain why the bodies were not being handed over to them. In contrast, the bodies of most of the deceased Maoist cadres from Chhattisgarh were handed over to their families after they showed an Aadhaar card to identify themselves – barring Kosi alias Ungi from Bijapur, whose family was told by the police to cremate the body in Narayanpur since it had decomposed. 'They merely said so, but they did not show us the body,' said a young relative of Ungi. When asked if the family agreed to the body being cremated in Narayanpur, the relative said, 'Ab hum kya bol sakte hain – now, what can we say?' A hasty cremation On the morning of May 27, the relatives of the dead Maoists gathered at the office of the Narayanpur police superintendent but he did not meet them. Around noon, they were asked to reach Narayanpur police station. They rushed there along with the ambulances, followed by journalists, only to be asked to wait. Around 4 pm, amidst a heavy downpour, word leaked that the bodies were being taken to an Adivasi graveyard. Soon, vehicles began to roll towards the identified cremation ground. A large closed vehicle identical to a police van went in, likely carrying the bodies given the stench emanating, followed by a truck laden with petrol cans and two tractors with logs of wood. They travelled past a waste dumpyard to reach an Adivasi graveyard heavily guarded by police personnel. No one, barring a few journalists, was allowed to get close to the area. By 5 pm, fires were seen blazing at several places on the ground. Among those present at the spot was an Adivasi journalist, Bindesh Patr, who expressed shock over the police intruding upon the Adivasi community's burial ground and using it to carry out cremations. 'It is an insult to our Adivasi culture,' he said, sounding anguished. He tried contacting the collector and superintendent of police, but it was in vain. The station head officer of the Narayanpur thana refused to let him inside. Violation of orders Refusing to participate in the cremation, which took place around 2 km away from the main city, the relatives of the deceased insurgents gathered outside the Narayanpur police station to address the local media. 'We were kept captive through the afternoon,' said Nambala Ramprasad. 'We were asked to agree to allow the bodies to be burnt which each of the family refused to.' Family members who were inside the police station since 11 in the morning emerged around five in the evening. Bela Bhatia, a lawyer and activist who has been assisting the families in their attempt to recover the bodies, said: 'This is not only violation of the AP High Court directions to hand over the bodies to the family members after postmortem, but complete violation of national and international laws that directs the State to preserve and dispose human dead body with human dignity.' Hours before the cremations took place, Nambala Ramprasad, through his lawyer, approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court again to file a contempt petition, seeking action against Chhattisgarh officials, including the state principal secretary, the director general of police and the inspector general of police. 'Perhaps fearing the court would compel them to hand over the bodies, the police committed an even greater travesty of justice by consigning the bodies to flames, which has only made the matter worse for Chhattisgarh government and police,' said C Chandrasekhar, the advocate representing Ramprasad. Before he left for Andhra Pradesh, Ramprasad added: 'What the police has done today is utterly disgraceful, but I have full faith in the judiciary in giving justice to the family members.'
NDTV
3 days ago
- NDTV
Fearless Force That Scripted The End Of Maoist Terror In Bastar
The lush but deadly jungles of Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh -- long considered the impenetrable heartland of Naxal operations -- recently witnessed a turning point. Basavaraju, one of India's most-wanted Naxal commanders with a Rs 10 crore bounty on his head, was neutralized in a swift operation led by the District Reserve Guard or DRG, a special jungle warfare unit of the Chhattisgarh Police. In a span of hours, the DRG eliminated 28 hardcore Naxals along with Basavaraju inside what was considered his safest hideout. What followed wasn't just strategic success. It was a symbolic end to the long-standing aura of invincibility surrounding the Maoist top brass. But who exactly are these brave men and women of DRG? How did this local force rise to become the most lethal anti-Maoist unit in India? A Force Born from the Soil Established in 2015, the District Reserve Guard (DRG) is not a conventional police unit. It is a battalion built from within Bastar-composed of local tribal youth, surrendered Naxals, and Bastar fighters who know the dense terrain like the back of their hand. Their strength lies not just in numbers, but in the intimate knowledge of geography, guerrilla tactics, and the psychology of the enemy. "Earlier they took up arms against the Constitution; now they protect it," said Prabhat Kumar, a senior police officer of Narayanpur, underscoring the transformation of surrendered Naxals into protectors of law and order. The DRG's core philosophy revolves around three principles -- Mati (Brain), Gati (Speed), and Minimum Damage. Mati: Operations are backed by intelligence. DRG jawans aren't just fighters, they are analysts. Off-duty, they are seen with laptops and maps, planning the next mission. Gati: With unmatched endurance, they can trek 30-35 km of jungle terrain overnight. Their mobility has caught Naxals off-guard on multiple occasions. Minimum Damage: Every operation aims at maximum impact on Naxals with minimum or no loss to DRG soldiers. This careful but fierce approach has earned DRG a dreaded reputation inside Naxal ranks. A diary found in Basavaraju's camp had this chilling line written in red ink - "Comrade, hide wherever you are... DRG force will find and kill you". DRG jawans are trained in jungle warfare, anti-guerilla tactics, booby trap detection, and terrain-based ambush strategies. They are skilled enough to turn every challenge of the jungle into an advantage. "Whether it is fast movement, laying low, or surviving days in the forest, our training ensures we can strike without warning," adds SP Prabhat Kumar. Their success speaks for itself. In October 2024, the DRG killed 38 Naxals in Thulthuli-Nedur. In May 2025, the team struck again-killing Basavaraju and 28 others on Kilakot hill. Former Maoist Babu Kawasi, once a bodyguard to Basavaraju, admitted that special modules were created by the Maoist leadership just to counter DRG. "We were taught how to lay traps, how to avoid DRG ambushes, but even then, we lived in constant fear. DRG always finds a way," he said. Another surrendered cadre, Manoj (name changed), echoed the sentiment. "They are tribals, they know the land, they know the jungle, and they have unmatched survival instincts. When DRG comes, even our seniors tremble." With over 2,000 personnel, DRG is deeply rooted in local communities, All members are tribals, locals, and surrendered rebels. Many are women, who play a frontline role in operations. They possess terrain intelligence, are tech-savvy, and are emotionally invested in securing their homeland. "We provide them every possible support-financial, logistical, training. Because they are our most valuable asset," said Mr Kumar. More Powerful Than Greyhounds and C-60? From Andhra's Greyhounds to Maharashtra's C-60, India has produced elite anti-Naxal units but the DRG has outperformed all in recent years. Its hyper-local model, cultural connection, and deep understanding of Maoist movement give it a decisive edge. "This time it has become clear that red terror will end, development will reach every village, and the Constitution will be implemented in every corner of Bastar-all because of DRG," said Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, praising the force after the latest operation in Abujhmad. In a region where governance once feared to tread, DRG is not just reclaiming land -- it is restoring dignity, peace, and hope to people brutalised by decades of insurgency. From being victims of Maoist propaganda to becoming its fiercest destroyers, these jungle warriors have rewritten the rulebook of counter-insurgency. In Bastar today, the ground may still be red-but it is no longer in fear. It is in resistance, resilience, and renewed resolve, thanks to the unyielding spirit of DRG.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Why Chhattisgarh police cremate bodies of Maoists from Andhra-Telangana despite AP High Court observations
Earlier, following the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, two petitioners, one of them claiming to be relatives of Basavaraju approached the Narayanpur police seeking custody of the bodies after the completion of the post-mortem. However the Chhattisgarh police declined to hand over the bodies to the petitioners and instead cremated them amid tight security, citing that the claimed relatives could not provide any valid and legal document in support of their claims to take the dead bodies to their respective states. Speaking to TNIE, a senior police officer in Bastar said, 'Andhra Pradesh high court didn't issue an order to Chhattisgarh Police to hand over the bodies to the petitioners. It was only a direction given to the petitioners to approach the concerned police authorities in Chhattisgarh. In total 05 groups of claimants (including two petitioners in the high court) reached Narayanpur but couldn't produce any valid and satisfactory documents to prove their relationship with the deceased Maoist cadres." "Among the eight bodies, five were found to be invalid claims, two were unclaimed," the officer stated. "Reliable sources informed us that, under pressure from Maoist front organisations and their urban associates, some individuals posing as relatives arrived in Narayanpur to claim the bodies," he added. According to the officer, this was part of a broader conspiracy orchestrated by Maoists and their supporters to stage an elaborate funeral for their slain leader and cadres. "The police and intelligence agencies acted promptly and lawfully to prevent such glorification, which could have furthered their propaganda," he said. However, human rights activist Bela Bhatia, who was present in Narayanpur, strongly criticised the police action. She alleged that the rights of the families who had travelled long distances to claim the bodies were violated. "Despite the High Court allowing the petitioners to approach the police in Chhattisgarh to seek custody of the bodies, the authorities denied the families their right to perform the last rites according to their cultural traditions," Bhatia said. "The police conducted the cremations by force, without the consent of the families," she added. The incident has sparked a debate over the balance between state security concerns and the rights of families in conflict zones.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'The lie is a face-saver': Chhattisgarh cops deny Maoists' claim Basavaraju was caught alive and then killed
RAIPUR: CPI (Maoist) blamed the death of its chief Basavaraju on betrayal by some within its 'core' Naxal formations active in the Maad area, including the PLGA Company No. 7 that was tasked with his proximate security cover. The statement holding "compromised elements within" accountable for the killing of Basavaraju in Narayanpur, issued via its Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), came even as the Chhattisgarh Police conducted the last rites of the CPI(Maoist) general secretary and seven others on Monday in Narayanpur, citing the "lack of any clear legal claimant" to their bodies. CPI(Maoist) also admitted that 28, and not 27, 'comrades' were killed in the operation, and pointed out mistakes in identification of two slain Maoists by police. TOI had exclusively reported Monday that the Chhattisgarh Police was not keen to hand over Basavaraju's body to his kin/acquaintances for last rites in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, fearing that a public funeral would unnecessarily glorify the mastermind behind the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians and security personnel. The bodies of the remaining 19 Maoists killed in the May 21 operation by the District Reserve Guard wing of the Chhattisgarh Police were, however, handed over to their family members. The DKSZC statement, dated May 25, 2025, and signed by 'Vikalp', blamed the 'compromised' and 'surrendered' leaders and cadre of units active in Maad for feeding the Chhattisgarh Police and intelligence agencies with constant updates on Basavaraju's movements over the past six months. 'The cadre from different units in the Maad area turned traitors and would share our secret messages with police. Operations based on their leaks were conducted in Jan and March to get to Basavaraju. Six more surrenders over the past one and half months, including by a top cadre in Basavaraju's security detail, made the job of police easier,' it said. The CPI(Maoist) press note, while corroborating how DRG personnel cornered Basavaraju by breaching and neutralising his protection team, declared that the Maoist general secretary was captured alive and then killed, a claim rubbished by Bastar IG P Sundarraj. 'The lie is a face-saver. The statement literally certifies our precise and perfectly-timed strike, how 28 of the 35 Maoists engaged ended up neutralised, and how it were the Maoists who killed a DRG personnel in the 'first round of fire' and another in an IED blast after the operation had ended,' he told TOI. The Maoist statement conceded failure, saying, 'The PLGA Company No. 7 had 60 persons in Jan but this was cut to 35 for easier mobility. In the meantime, senior members of the company expected big operations in April and May. But Basavaraju was not ready to move to a safer hideout'. Basavaraju, 74, was even quoted as telling cadre not to worry for him as he would remain general secretary for two to three years at the most. Paying 'tributes' to 'B R dada' — or Basavaraju, who faced 258 criminal cases — and the 27 other Maoists killed, the DKSZC note exhorted citizens, party members, PLGA formations and activists' groups to organise public meetings to honour the 'martyrs' and continue fighting the 'fascist, Hindu govt'. Of the 27 Maoists whose bodies were retrieved by the Chhattisgarh Police, two were from Andhra Pradesh, three from Telangana and the remaining from Chhattisgarh. They included a politburo member, a DKSZC leader, four Company Party Committee members, three platoon party committee members and 18 PLGA members. The Chhattisgarh Police on Monday said the weapons recovered in the Narayanpur operation included those looted by Naxals after the Maoist attacks at Gawadi in 2010 Burkapal in 2017, which between them had killed 51 CRPF personnel.
