Gadchiroli police officials also honoured with Special Operation Medal
Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 31
The Union Home Minister’s “Special Operation Medal” for the year 2022 have been awarded for 4 Special Operations that include Telangana and Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) encounters with Maoists.
The medal was constituted in 2018 with the objective to recognize those operations, which have high degree of planning, high significance for the security of the country/State/UT and have significant impact on the security of larger sections of the society. The award shall be conferred for Special Operation in the areas such as counter terrorism, border action, arms control, prevention of narcotics smuggling and rescue operations.
It is announced on 31st of October every year. In a year, normally 3 Special Operations are considered for the award and in extraordinary circumstances; the award may be given up to 5 Special Operations to encourage State/UT Police.
Telangana police’s 13 personnel including Additional Director General of Police Anil Kumar and Deputy Superintendent of Police Kaitha Ravindra Reddy have been included in the list for the special operation conducted in May 2022 at the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The Greyhounds and the CRPF carried out the operation in Chhattisgarh’s Kistaram area and nabbed three hardcore Maoists that included Madvi Nanda.
He was reported to be the big catch. Madvi had been a hardcore leader and was number two in the PLGA after Hidma. He was seen as a successor of Hidma. Apprehending a big leader alive was a major achievement of the Telangana police.
The Medal has been awarded to Maharashtra police’s 11 personnel including Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal and Additional Superintendent of Police Sameer Aslam Shaikh for the Gadchiroli operation in which Maoist mastermind Milind Teltumbde was killed along with 26 members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) in November 2021. The operation was a severe blow to the Maoists’ urban and jungle networks in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The police officials of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi have also been honoured with the Special Operation Medal for carrying out extraordinary operation in their respective states and union territories.
