Major blow for CPI Maoists as two cadres with a collective reward of Rs 14 lakh held, third major catch in a week

In yet another success for the security forces in insurgency-hit Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, a hardcore Maoist carrying a bounty of Rs 6 lakh on his head was arrested in a joint operation of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Tuesday, October 17. According to the details, Maoist cadre Messo Gillu Kavdu (50) was apprehended in a joint operation launched in the Jajawandi-Doddur forest area of Gadchiroli.

Kavdu, a resident of Rekhabhatal village under Etapalli block, had joined the banned CPI Maoist in 2017 and was currently working as an Area Committee Member (ACM) in the extremist outfit. It’s been reported that Kavdu was put on the supply team of the Maoists and was continuously supplying explosives and other materials to the banned outfit.

It’s been reported that a number of cases, including murder have already been registered against Kavdu. It is to be noted that the arrested Maoist cadre was in constant touch with the Divisional Committee Member (DVC) Chainuram aka Sukku Waste Korsa, another top Maoist cadre arrested by the security forces on Saturday, October 14.

Korsa, a resident of Tekametta of Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh has been active in the forest areas of Gadchiroli and was carrying a bounty of Rs 16 lakh on his head.

Notably in another operation launched by the security forces in neighbouring Chhattisgarh a hardcore Maoist identified as Nagesh Padam, incharge of the Maded Area Committee of the CPI Maoist was also neutralised in an encounter between the Maoist and the security forces in Bandepara of Bijapur.

Following the gunfight, the security forces also recovered an AK-47, magazine, extremist literature and other materials from the spot alongside the body of the deceased. The killed Maoist Nagesh, was carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh on his head.

Another Maoist held in Jharkhand

Meanwhile in another similar development amidst the ongoing major counter-insurgency drive in Jharkhand, a hardcore Maoist was arrested on Tuesday, October 17. According to the information received hardcore Maoist Agnu Ganjhu has been nabbed by the Latehar police.

The arrested Maoist cadre Agnu Ganjhu is considered close to the top Maoist commander Ravindra Ganjhu who has been chased by the security forces for long. It’s been reported that the Jharkhand police nabbed Agnu after it received a tip-off about his presence. However the development has so far been not confirmed by the police.

It is to be noted that a reward of Rs 5 lakh had already been announced on Agnu by the Jharkhand police while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also placed a bounty of Rs 3 lakh on his head.

It is to be noted that the Jharkhand police in a similar operation last week had also nabbed as many as five active cadre of the banned Maoist outfit Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), a splinter group of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) from Maoist affected Chatra district.

The arrested Maoists were identified as Prabhat alias Virasat alias Prem Kumar Ganjhu, sub-zonal commander of TSPC, Vishu Ganjhu alias Ashok Ganjhu, sub-zonal commander of TSPC, Arun Prajapati, Jitendra Kumar Rajak and Naresh Kumar Bhokta, all active cadres of the banned TSPC.

During the raid, the police team had also seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the possession of the accused.

It is worth mentioning that counter-insurgency operations against the Left Wing Extremism are in full swing in different states across Bharat after the union home minister Amit Shah in recent times has repeatedly asserted that the Maoist insurgency will be uprooted from Bharat within the next two years.