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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 !
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- The Hindu
4 Maoists with ₹18 lakh bounty killed in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli
Four Maoists, including two women, carrying a collective bounty of ₹18 lakh, were killed by security personnel in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli on Friday (May 23, 2025), police said. The encounter took place along the Maharastra-Chhattisgarh border barely 25 km from the site where 27 Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, general secretary of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), were killed in an encounter with the Chhattisgarh Police's District Reserve Guards two days ago, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal told The Hindu. Mr. Neelotpal, however, added that the slain cadres were active in Maharashtra and the forces had another gunbattle with them ten days ago. 'Based on a credible intelligence received about presence of Maoist formations on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border near recently opened FOB Kawande, an operation led by Addnl SP Ramesh and 12 C-60 parties (300 commandoes) and a component of CRPF was launched yesterday noon from Kawande and Nelgunda towards bank of Indravati [river] amidst heavy rain in the area,' said a statement from the police. C-60 or Commando-60 is a trained security force that carries out anti-Naxal operations in hilly and remote areas of Gadchiroli district. The police statement added that when the cordon was being laid and the river bank being searched, Maoists started indiscriminate firing on C-60 commandos, which led to effective retaliation by the forces. 'Intermittent exchange of fire continued for almost two hours. Area search by forces has led to recovery of 4 Maoist dead bodies, one automatic self-loading rifle, two .303 rifles and a Bharmar (country-made gun). Apart from this, walkie-talkies, camping material, Naxal literature, etc., have been seized from the spot,' it added. Mr. Neelotpal said that among those killed was Sannu Masa Pungati, a 35-year-old dalam commander. A dalam refers to a squad or armed unit within the Maoist organisation. In another encounter reported in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a Maoist operative was killed by the security forces in an anti-Naxal operation, a senior officer said on Friday. The operation was launched on Thursday (May 22, 2025) when a joint team comprising personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force and 210th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), an elite unit of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) left for a forested area under the jurisdiction of Kistaram police station area. The gunbattle broke in the evening during which one Maoist was killed, the officer said, adding that exchange of fire was still underway in the area till Friday evening. Meanwhile, another operation in a distinct part of Sukma that was launched by the forces on Wednesday was called off late Thursday evening. In that encounter, a CoBRA commando, and a Maoist operative were killed. 24 Maoists surrender In a related development, 24 Maoists, including 20 members carrying a reward of ₹87.50 lakh, surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, said Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav. Among those surrendered is a Deputy Commander of PLGA Company No. 2, a major military formation in the banned outfit, said Mr. Yadav. 'Disillusionment with the ideas of the organisation and disappointment and growing internal differences within the organisation, surrendered due to the desire to live a safe family life by joining the mainstream of society,' he added.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- The Hindu
Four Maoist operatives killed in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli
Four Maoists, including two women, carrying a collective bounty of ₹18 lakh, were killed by security personnel in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli on Friday (May 23, 2025), police said. The encounter took place along the Maharastra-Chhattisgarh border barely 25 km from the site where 27 Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, general secretary of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), were killed in an encounter with the Chhattisgarh Police's District Reserve Guards two days ago, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal told The Hindu. Mr. Neelotpal, however, added that the slain cadres were active in Maharashtra and the forces had another gunbattle with them ten days ago. 'Based on a credible intelligence received about presence of Maoist formations on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border near recently opened FOB Kawande, an operation led by Addnl SP Ramesh and 12 C-60 parties (300 commandoes) and a component of CRPF was launched yesterday noon from Kawande and Nelgunda towards bank of Indravati [river] amidst heavy rain in the area,' said a statement from the police. C-60 or Commando-60 is a trained security force that carries out anti-Naxal operations in hilly and remote areas of Gadchiroli district. The police statement added that when the cordon was being laid and the river bank being searched, Maoists started indiscriminate firing on C-60 commandos, which led to effective retaliation by the forces. 'Intermittent exchange of fire continued for almost two hours. Area search by forces has led to recovery of 4 Maoist dead bodies, one automatic self-loading rifle, two .303 rifles and a Bharmar (country-made gun). Apart from this, walkie-talkies, camping material, Naxal literature, etc., have been seized from the spot,' it added. Mr. Neelotpal said that among those killed was Sannu Masa Pungati, a 35-year-old dalam commander. A dalam refers to a squad or armed unit within the Maoist organisation. In another encounter reported in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a Maoist operative was killed by the security forces in an anti-Naxal operation, a senior officer said on Friday. The operation was launched on Thursday (May 22, 2025) when a joint team comprising personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force and 210th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), an elite unit of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) left for a forested area under the jurisdiction of Kistaram police station area. The gunbattle broke in the evening during which one Maoist was killed, the officer said, adding that exchange of fire was still underway in the area till Friday evening. Meanwhile, another operation in a distinct part of Sukma that was launched by the forces on Wednesday was called off late Thursday evening. In that encounter, a CoBRA commando, and a Maoist operative were killed. 24 Maoists surrender In a related development, 24 Maoists, including 20 members carrying a reward of ₹87.50 lakh, surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, said Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav. Among those surrendered is a Deputy Commander of PLGA Company No. 2, a major military formation in the banned outfit, said Mr. Yadav. 'Disillusionment with the ideas of the organisation and disappointment and growing internal differences within the organisation, surrendered due to the desire to live a safe family life by joining the mainstream of society,' he added.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
4 Maoists gunned down in encounter with security forces along Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border
NAGPUR: Four Maoist were killed in a fierce exchange of gunfire with security forces in Gadchiroli district, near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, officials confirmed on Friday. The early-morning encounter took place near the village of Kawande, close to the Indravati River, following a coordinated operation by the Gadchiroli Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The mission was launched on Thursday, based on credible intelligence inputs about Maoist activity in the area. The joint operation, conducted under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh and supervised by Superintendent of Police Neelotpal and DIG Ankit Goyal, involved 12 units of the elite C60 commando force and CRPF personnel—around 300 in total. Despite heavy rain and difficult terrain, the security forces advanced from Kawande and Nelgunda to set up a cordon along the riverbank. On Friday morning, as the search operation intensified, Maoists opened fire on the commandos, prompting a two-hour firefight. 'This operation was marked by strategic precision and remarkable resilience from our forces,' said Inspector General Sandip Patil, who heads Maharashtra's Anti-Maoist Operations unit. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Find Certified Used Cars Now Spinny Book Now Undo After the encounter, security personnel recovered the bodies of four Maoists, as well as a cache of arms and supplies, including an automatic Self-Loading Rifle, two .303 rifles, a country-made Bharmar firearm, walkie-talkies, camping gear and Maoist literature. Officials said there were no casualties among the security forces, underscoring the effectiveness of their training and planning. The area remains under surveillance as the search for other Maoist operatives continues. 'This is a major breakthrough,' a senior Gadchiroli Police official told the BBC. 'These Maoists were attempting to destabilise the region. Their elimination sends a strong message that we remain vigilant and committed to securing the area.' Gadchiroli, located in eastern Maharashtra, has long been affected by Maoist insurgency. Security forces have intensified their operations in recent years, targeting Maoist hideouts and disrupting their supply chains. The recovery of communication equipment and weapons suggests the group was preparing for further action.
