JAGDALPUR: Security forces recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition, allegedly concealed underground by Maoists, in the dense forests of Utla village, under Bhairamgarh police station limits in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The recovery was made during a joint search operation conducted by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bhairamgarh police, based on intelligence inputs from surrendered Maoists. According to police, the operation was carried out on September 20 after receiving information about a suspected Maoist weapons dump hidden in the forest. The recovered items included an AK-47 rifle, a 9mm pistol, a .315-bore rifle, a single-shot rifle, magazines, and several rounds of live ammunition.
Intelligence from surrendered maoists leads to operation
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Umesh Prasad Gupta confirmed the recovery and said that the interrogation of surrendered Maoists, along with social initiatives being undertaken under the rehabilitation policy, is yielding positive results. During this process, security agencies received intelligence regarding a suspected concealed weapons dump in the Utla forest area. The information was promptly verified, and an operation was planned under the guidance of SP Umesh Prasad Gupta and the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police (Naxal) Aman Jha. Bhairamgarh Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Naveen Ekka briefed personnel from the DRG and Bhairamgarh police before their deployment to the forest. The team conducted an intensive search, adhering to prescribed security protocols.
Weapons found buried underground
During the search, security personnel identified a suspicious location in the forest. After careful examination, the team excavated the area and discovered weapons and ammunition buried underground and concealed by the Maoists. The recovered cache included one AK-47 rifle, one .315-bore rifle, one single-shot rifle, and one 9mm pistol. Two AK-47 magazines were also found. Additionally, security personnel seized 45 live rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 25 live rounds of 9mm ammunition, and six live rounds of .315-bore ammunition. The weapons and ammunition were carefully removed from the concealed location and transported to Bhairamgarh police station for further legal proceedings.
Further investigation underway
Police have initiated legal proceedings and are investigating the source and intended use of the recovered weapons and ammunition. Security forces continue to maintain heightened surveillance in the surrounding forest areas. According to police officials, the recovery was made possible by intelligence gathered during interactions with surrendered Maoists. They emphasised that ongoing intelligence gathering, search operations, and rehabilitation efforts are crucial components of the security strategy in Bijapur’s Maoist-affected regions. This discovery of a concealed weapons cache is expected to aid security agencies in preventing the potential use of these arms and ammunition in future Maoist activities in the region. It may be noted that security forces have been continuously conducting search operations in Bijapur and other Maoist-affected districts of Chhattisgarh. These operations have yielded significant results. In Bijapur district alone, several Maoist dumps have been recovered in separate operations over the past three weeks. The concealed dumps, found either buried underground or hidden in forested areas, contained firearms, ammunition, explosives, detonators and other operational materials.
14 maoist dumps recovered earlier in Pidiya-Kuppaguda
The Utla recovery follows another significant operation in Bijapur earlier this month. On September 5, personnel of the 199th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), acting on intelligence, conducted an extensive search operation in the dense forests around Edri, Harra, Nayapara, and Sarpanch Para in the Pidiya and Kuppaguda areas.
According to security officials, this operation resulted in the discovery of 14 separate Maoist dumps concealed at various locations within the forest. The recovered materials included firearms, explosives, detonators, IEDs, communication equipment, and other items allegedly used by Maoist cadres. The operation was conducted under the guidance of 199th Battalion Commandant Anand Kumar and supervised by Deputy Commandant Darshan Yadav. Inspector Ajit Kumar Deka led the B/199 Company and Young Platoon, while Inspector Neeraj Kumar led the F/199 Company. Security personnel reportedly cordoned off the suspected areas before conducting systematic searches in phases. The recovery of multiple dumps indicates the Maoists’ use of forested locations to conceal weapons and other operational materials.
Weapons and BGL cells discovered near Neelamdgu riverbank
On September 3, another recovery was reported from a forested area near a riverbank in Neelamdgu village, under the jurisdiction of Bhopalpatnam police station. According to police, Bhopalpatnam police received intelligence about suspicious material hidden near the riverbank. A joint security team was subsequently dispatched to search the forest and surrounding locations. During the search, personnel reportedly discovered a hollow inside a felled tree, allegedly concealing weapons and ammunition. The recovered items included a 12-bore country-made gun, a damaged BGL rifle, eight BGL cells, and 10 live 12-bore rounds. Security personnel also found three country-made gun cell caps, a pair of pliers, and a backpack. The material was secured and processed according to seizure procedures. Bijapur SP Umesh Prasad Gupta confirmed the recovery, stating that security and search operations are continuously conducted in sensitive areas of the district. He added that security forces would intensify searches in forested and vulnerable locations to prevent Maoist cadres from using such areas to hide weapons, ammunition, and other operational material.
Suspected maoist aide detained during separate search
A series of recoveries has been accompanied by actions against individuals suspected of aiding Maoist networks. In a separate operation reported on August 29, a joint team from Basaguda police and the DRG recovered a suspected Maoist dump from a forested area near Pegadapalli village in Bijapur district. During this operation, security personnel detained 39-year-old Bogam Lakhmu, a suspected Maoist aide identified by police as a resident of Chinnagelur under Tarrem police station limits.
Intelligence-Based Operations: A key strategy
The repeated discovery of concealed dumps across Bijapur highlights the ongoing focus of security agencies on intelligence-based operations and area domination in the district. The forested terrain offers Maoist cadres opportunities to hide weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other supplies, making systematic searches and intelligence gathering crucial components of security operations. Officials have increasingly relied on information gathered from surrendered cadres, local intelligence networks, and field-level inputs to identify suspected storage locations. Police stated that the Utla recovery, for instance, was directly linked to information obtained from surrendered Maoists. Concurrently, security agencies are continuing rehabilitation and mainstreaming initiatives for surrendered cadres. Police officials have noted that interaction with surrendered Maoists serves both rehabilitation objectives and, where legally appropriate, helps security agencies understand the functioning and logistical networks of armed groups. Recent weeks have seen recoveries from Utla, Pidiya-Kuppaguda, Neelamdgu, and other locations, resulting in the seizure of various weapons and operational materials, including assault rifles, country-made firearms, pistols, ammunition, explosives, detonators, IEDs, and BGL-related material. Police confirmed that search and surveillance operations would continue across vulnerable forested areas of Bijapur. The latest recovery from Utla has further prompted security personnel to maintain heightened vigilance in the surrounding areas while investigations into the recovered weapons and their intended use proceed.
