In yet another success for the security forces on the Maoist front, a Hawk force team of the Madhya Pradesh police shot down two notorious female Maoists in an encounter in the insurgency-hit Balaghat district of MP on April 22 morning.
The development occurred when the Hawk force team was out on a search operation in the Garhi police station limits, where a fierce gunfight broke out between the forces and the Maoist near the Kadla forest area in the wee hours of April 22; it’s been learnt that after a heavy gunfight that lasted for more than an hour, the bodies of two female Maoist cadres have been recovered.
The deceased female Maoists have been identified as area commander Sunita of Bhoramdeo area and Sarita, a member of Khatia Dalam of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist). Both carried a reward of Rs 14 lakh each and had many cases registered against them.
It’s been reported that Sarita, a member of the Tada Dalam, was currently working in the Vistara Dalam. At the same time, Sunita, who was earlier associated with the Khatia Dalam and had worked as a bodyguard of top Maoist commander Kabir was also working for the Vistara Dalam of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned CPI Maoist, both of the deceased cadres were said to be the area committee members of the outlawed Maoist outfit.
Security forces have also recovered a couple of rifles, cartridges and daily use materials from the spot; it’s been speculated that a few other Maoist cadres were also injured in the gunfight, following which a search operation is being carried out in the region.
Speaking on the development, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, while commending the effort of the security forces, said, ” I want to congratulate the task force and the Balaghat police, they have done a commendable job, our policemen are brave, and the Maoist will not succeed in establishing their base in MP, we determine to establish the rule of law and anyone who tried to disturb the peace will be dealt stringently.”
It should be noted that amid the growing pressure of the security forces in the Dankaranya (Bastar) region (a stronghold of the Maoist over three decades) of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, the communist extremists are desperate to establish their new bastion in the bordering areas of Madhya Pradesh, this includes district likes Dindori, Mandala and Balaghat where Maoists are looking to establish a firm base for their newly created MMC (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh) zone.
However, continuous combing operations from the security forces in these areas have thwarted the Left Wing Extremists’ ambitious plan. In the last year or two, many notorious Maoists (around 8) have been gunned down in the region in counter-insurgency operations by the forces.
It is to be noted that in a similar operation in June last year, the Balaghat police had shot dead three Maoist cadre, including a divisional committee member, Nagesh, who was carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakhs near Kadla region, interestingly none of them who killed in the encounter were natives of Madhya Pradesh suggesting large scale infiltration of the Ultras from the neighbouring states like Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
