In yet another breakthrough for the security forces grappling with the left-wing insurgents, as many as three cadres of the outlawed CPI Maoist have been neutralised as the Maoists indulged in an encounter with the personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) on Sunday, February 25.
According to the information received, the encounter took place in the Koyalibeda area of Maoist-affected Kanker district, where a joint team of DRG and BSF was out on a routine search operation. It’s been learned that when the team was combing near the southern areas of Koyalibeda, the extremists launched a surprise attack by opening fire on the security personnel.
In the retaliatory fire by the forces, as many as three of the ultras have been killed, while a few others are suspected to have received fatal injuries, according to Kanker police in a post. The said operation was launched upon receiving solid intelligence about the presence of members of the cadres of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion no. 5, the armed wing of the outlaws.
Briefing the media about the incident, the officials informed them that the Maoists killed in the action were members of the Raju Salam team of battalion no. 5. The identity of the slain Maoists are yet to be ascertained. It’s been further reported that the forces also seized as many as three Bharmar guns along with materials pertaining to daily use from the vicinity.
In another development in the Bijapur district of the State, a total of four Maoists were reportedly killed in a separate encounter with the security personnel in Chote Tungali area on Tuesday, February 27.
According to the reports, the gunfight occurred when a joint team of DRG, Bastar Fighters and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was out on a search operation in the Chote Tungali area under the Jangala police station limits of Bijapur.
The security forces have also seized arms and ammunition, along with daily use materials, from the spot, however, no official confirmation about the incident has been made by the police so far.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra police, in a significant catch, have nabbed a female Maoist carrying a bounty of Rs6 lakh on her head. The arrested Maoist has been identified as Rajeshwari, alias Kamla Padga Gota, who was nabbed by security personnel in Maoist affected Gadchiroli district.
Rajeshwari reportedly joined the Maoist outfit as a Chetna Natya Mandali (CNM) member in 2006 and had donned many roles in the prescribed outfit since then.
According to the police, Rajeshwari was also arrested in the year 2019 in connection with an encounter with the police; however, she managed to walk out of jail in 2020 and joined the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee as an Area Committee Member.
It is worth mentioning here that the Gadchiroli police have so far arrested as many as 73 Maoists in separate operations launched in the district since January, 2022. Notably, the district, which shares its boundaries with the State of Chhattisgarh, has been considered a hotbed of insurgency, and the forces have been running persistent operations to contain the spread of insurgents in recent years.
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