In a major success for the security forces, the C-60 commandos, an elite counter-insurgency unit of the Maharashtra police, gunned down as many as three Communist terrorists in an encounter in Gadchiroli of Maharashtra on April 30.
The development occurred when two parties of the C-60 commandos were out on a search operation in the Kedmara forest region of Gadchiroli, where a gunfight broke up between the Maoist and the forces following which body of three male cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) were recovered from the spot.
The deceased have been identified as Bitlu Mandavi, commander of the Perimilli Dalam, Vasu and Srikant; they were carrying a combined bounty of Rs 38 lakhs; the encounter occurred near the Manne Rajaram of Aheri block at around 7 pm.
It’s been learnt that Bittu Mandavi was the main accused behind the brutal murder of a 25-year-old student, Sainath Narote, in March this year; the latter was kidnapped from the outskirts of his village and was brutally killed by the Maoist on March 09, the Maoist had alleged Narote for passing sensitive information about the movements of Maoist parties to the police.
Speaking about the development, The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Gadchiroli, Sandip Patil, said, “Three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with the police in Manne Rajaram of Aheri tehsil. The police recovered the bodies of three Naxalites, the encounter took place around 6 pm on April 30. The killed Naxalites had a reward of Rs 38 lakh”.
It is to be noted that this is the first major counter-insurgency operation launched by the forces after the deadly attack of Dantewada in which as many as ten personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) along with a civilian driver were martyred in a strong Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion triggered by the Maoists on April 26.
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