In the biggest anti-Naxal operation witnessed in more than three decades, the C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police and personnel from Battalion 9 of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Sunday morning gunned down 16 Maoists, including a few women, in Boria jungle in Bramhagad tehsil of Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra, bordering Chhattisgarh.

As the massive encounter broke out between the security forces and Maoists operating in Boria jungle, the anti-Naxal squad of Gadchiroli police launched a combing operation in thick jungles located in vicinity of Tadgaon range of Bramhagad tehsil at 7 am.

The Maoists opened fire against the C-60 commandos, prompting the latter to retaliate with gusto. In the encounter that lasted till 11 am, the C-60 commandos overpowered the Maoists. “We have recovered 16 bodies of Maoists from the Boria-Tadgaon jungles. There are a few women among those killed in the encounter. Our combing operations are continuing in search of more bodies,” a senior officer of the Gadchiroli police said.

Congratulating C-60 commandos and CRPF personnel for their successful operation against Maoists, Maharashtra’s Director General of Police Satish Mathur said, “This is a major anti-Naxal operation undertaken in recent times.”

Prominent Maoists among those killed in the encounter were identified as Shinu, alias Shrikant, alias Vijedhar Narasimhulu Rao (51), a resident of Challagariga, a village in Warangal district of Telangana and Sainath, alias Dolesh Modi Atram (36), a resident of Gattepalli in Aheri taluka of Gadchiroli district. Both were Maoists’ south Gadchiroli divisional committee members.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the encounter with Maoists in Gadchiroli district.

"The Chief Minister has apprised him of the situation and also briefed him on the details of the operation," a senior official from the Chief Minister's office said.

Both Shinu and Sainath, who were among the Left wing extremists killed in Sunday's encounter, were most wanted Maoists. The police had earlier announced cash rewards to persons giving information about their whereabouts.

Shinu, who had shifted his base from Andhra Pradesh to Gadchiroli, was appointed as the secretary of south Gadchiroli divisional committee last year. He had in 82 cases - including murder, kidnapping, arson and assault - booked against him by the Gadchiroli police.

Sainath, who had suffered bullet injuries on right leg during an encounter with the police on Thursday, was equally notorious. The Gadchiroli police had in all registered 75 cases against Shinu. These included: Murder, kidnapping, arson and assault.

"We have recovered a sizeable chunk of weapons including rifles and ammunition from the Maoists killed in the encounter. The weapons recovered from the site included a two AK-47 rifles and one Insas rifle," a police officer involved in the anti-Naxal operation said.

Sunday's was described as the biggest encounter - in terms of Naxal causalities - witnessed in the last three decades.

It may be recalled that on December 6 last year, the commandos from the State Anti-Naxal Squad (ANS) of the Maharashtra Police had gunned down seven Naxals, including five women, in an encounter near Jhinganur village in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli district in east Maharashtra.

The December 6, 2017 encounter was similar to the one witnessed on April 4, 2013, when the ANS commandoes had killed seven Maoists and injured several others in an encounter in a jungle near Bhatpar village in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra, bordering Chhattisgarh.

The CRPF had suffered major casualties on March 27, 2012, when 12 of its jawans were killed and 28 others injured, when Maoists ambushed a bus carrying the security personnel and blew it up through landmines near Pastola village in Dhanora taluka of Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra.

Similarly as recently as on May 3, 2017, at least 15 police and security personnel were injured in two separate attacks by the Maoists in Gadchiroli district. In the first incident, three security personnel - two men from the Maharashtra Police and a jawan from the 37 Battalion of CRPF were injured in an encounter with a group of Maoists.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Monday, 23 April 2018 | TN RAGHUNATHA | Mumbai