JAGDALPUR: Security forces have recovered another concealed Maoist dump containing firearms, live ammunition, two printers, and other Maoist-related material during a joint search operation in the forested and hilly terrain of Kanker district along the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.
The recovery was made by a joint team comprising the Kanker District Force, Border Security Force (BSF), and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) in the Bande-Chhotebethiya police station area. The operation was conducted on September 27th in the forest and hilly region between Daguntola and Pusgutta villages, close to the Kanker-Gadchiroli border.
The latest recovery is significant as security forces have unearthed several concealed Maoist dumps in different parts of Kanker district in recent months. Two similar recoveries were made in August, when security forces seized explosives and other Maoist-related material from Kanhargaon village and recovered weapons and communication equipment from the forested terrain of Morkhandi village.
Two 12-bore rifles and 11 live rounds recovered
According to police, the joint team was conducting an intensive search operation in the sensitive forest and hill areas when the personnel detected indications of a concealed dump. The area was thoroughly searched, and the security forces subsequently located the cache hidden inside the forest terrain.
The recovered material included one 12-bore single-barrel rifle, one 12-bore double-barrel rifle and 11 live rounds of ammunition. Two printers and other suspected Maoist-related material were also recovered from the site.
The weapons, ammunition and other material were taken into custody by the security forces, and necessary legal and investigative procedures were initiated.
The search operation was led by BSF personnel from the 94th Battalion, including Inspectors H.N. Sharma and Hanuman Sahay Meena.
Two printers found in concealed dump
The recovery of two printers has emerged as an important aspect of the investigation. Security agencies are examining the equipment to determine how and for what purpose it was being used. There is a possibility that the printers may have been used for preparing Maoist pamphlets, notices, organisational documents or other propaganda material. However, police have not officially confirmed the purpose for which the printers were being used.
Officials said the actual use of the equipment would be established only after a detailed examination of the recovered printers and other material found at the location.
The recovery also indicates that the concealed dump may have been used for storing not only weapons and ammunition but also other logistical and communication-related material.
Dump hidden in forest and hilly terrain
The Maoist dump was reportedly concealed in a difficult-to-access location in the forest and hilly terrain between Daguntola and Pusgutta villages. Security personnel were carrying out a routine search operation in the area as part of the continuing anti-Maoist campaign when they detected indications of material hidden in the forest. The team subsequently conducted a detailed search and recovered the cache.
The operation forms part of the continuing efforts by security forces to identify and dismantle Maoist logistical networks in the district, particularly in areas adjoining Maharashtra. The Kanker-Gadchiroli border has remained an important area of security operations because of its forested terrain and proximity to regions affected by Maoist activities. Security agencies have therefore maintained heightened vigilance and continued joint search operations in remote and sensitive areas.
Operation conducted under senior officers’ guidance
The latest operation was conducted under the guidance of Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Badri Narayan Meena, BSF DIG Bhanupratappur Deepak Tiwari, Kanker Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha and Commandant of the 94th Battalion BSF, Bande, Ravindra Singh Chandel.
Officials said coordinated operations involving the district police, BSF and specialised teams are being conducted regularly in sensitive and Maoist-affected areas.
The operations are aimed at locating concealed weapons and ammunition dumps, identifying logistical networks and preventing Maoist groups from using remote forest areas for storing arms and other material.
Kanker SP confirms recovery
Kanker Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha confirmed the recovery of the Maoist dump.
According to Rakhecha, the security forces were conducting a routine search operation in an area that had previously remained affected by Maoist activities. During the search, the personnel came across the concealed dump in the forest.
The search resulted in the recovery of two 12-bore rifles, 11 live rounds, two printers and other material.
The SP said security forces were continuing their search operations under the anti-Maoist campaign and maintaining close surveillance over sensitive and border areas.
Another explosive dump recovered in August
The latest recovery comes against the backdrop of two significant Maoist dump recoveries made by security forces in Kanker district in August. On August 26, security forces recovered a concealed Maoist dump containing explosives and other insurgent-related material from the forested and hilly area of Kanhargaon village under Bande police station limits.
A joint team comprising personnel of the district police, BSF and Bomb Detection and Search team conducted an intensive search operation in the area.
According to police, the security personnel were conducting an extensive search of the forest and hill areas when they detected a dump allegedly concealed by Maoist cadres.
40 detonators and explosive-filled tiffins recovered
The August 26 operation resulted in the recovery of 40 detonators and two steel tiffins containing explosive material.
One of the steel tiffins had an approximate capacity of 10 litres, while the other had a capacity of around five litres. Both containers were found to contain explosive material. Other Maoist-related materials were also recovered during the operation. Considering the potential danger posed by the explosives, the recovered material was destroyed at the spot by the Bomb Disposal Squad in accordance with safety procedures.
The destruction of the explosive material was carried out to eliminate the immediate risk to security personnel and civilians in the area.
The recovery demonstrated the continued efforts by security forces to detect and neutralise concealed explosive material in forest areas that could potentially be used for Maoist activities.
Four country-made guns recovered on August 25
A day earlier, on August 25, security forces had achieved another significant success in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Kanker district with the recovery of a weapons and equipment dump from the remote forested and hilly terrain of Morkhandi village under Chhotebethiya police station limits. The recovery was made during an intensive search operation conducted by a joint team comprising personnel of the District Force, BSF and the BSF’s Bomb Disposal Squad.
Kanker Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha had confirmed the recovery, stating that security personnel detected a concealed Maoist dump during the search operation and subsequently seized the material hidden in the area.
The search resulted in the recovery of four Bharmaar guns, three Bharmaar gun barrels, one wireless set, three bundles of electrical wire, one GPS device, one small solar panel and one charger. Maoist literature and other material associated with the banned insurgent organisation were also recovered from the site.
Series of recoveries highlight continued search operations
The three recoveries—in August and September—have occurred in different forest and hilly locations of Kanker district, with security forces targeting areas considered sensitive because of their proximity to the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.
The recoveries have included firearms, ammunition, explosives, detonators, communication equipment, electrical wires, GPS equipment, solar equipment, Maoist literature and, in the latest operation, two printers.
Security officials have been conducting sustained search and area-domination operations in these remote locations to locate concealed material and prevent Maoist groups from maintaining logistical support networks.
The repeated recovery of dumps also underlines the importance of intelligence-based searches and coordinated operations involving the district police, BSF and specialised teams.
Search operations to continue
Police and security forces have said that intensive search operations will continue in sensitive and border areas of Kanker district. The forces are also examining the material recovered from the latest dump to establish its origin, intended use and possible links with Maoist activities in the region. Investigators are expected to examine the printers, weapons, ammunition and other material for further clues. Officials are also trying to establish how long the latest dump had remained concealed and whether it was connected with any Maoist network operating in the area.
Security agencies have reiterated that joint operations and intensive searches will continue in the district’s forested and border areas as part of the broader anti-Maoist campaign. The latest recovery of two rifles, 11 live rounds and two printers, following the recovery of explosives and weapons from separate locations in August, has added to the series of seizures made during sustained security operations in Kanker district.
