Team News Riveting
Jagdalpur, December 23
In a joint operation conducted by the Gadchiroli Police of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur Police, a woman Maoist leader carrying a reward of Rs 21 lakh was killed along with a male cadre on Friday morning.
The woman Maoist was identified as Kanthi Lingavva alias Anitha. The 41-year-old rebel was a resident of Laxmi Sagar, PS Kadam in Nirmal of Telangana State. She had worked as DVCM Indravelli AC of KM Divisional Committee and was wife of Mailarappu Adellu alias Bhashkar, Member of Telangana State Committee and Secretary of Kumram Bhim Divisional Committee of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The Gadchiroli police said the Government of Maharashtra had announced a bounty of Rs 16 lakh on her arrest. Similarly, Telangana Government has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head. The body of a male cadre could not be identified. One injured Maoist named Lachhmayya Kuchha Weladi, Age 28 years, resident of Tekameta, PS Farsegad, District Bijapur (CG) has been taken into custody. Currently, he was operating as a Jan Militia Member of the CPI (Maoist).
In a statement, Gadchiroli police said based on the reliable intelligence received, a joint anti-Naxal operation was launched by the commandos of Special Operation Squads (C-60), Gadchiroli (comprising of 300 commandos) and DRG of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh State (one unit of DRG comprising of 20 commandos) under the jurisdiction of SPS Damrancha and Chhattisgarh border area. “The joint team crossed into Chhattisgarh from Gadchiroli border during combing operation and when they were combing through deep forest of Tekameta, 10 km from Maharashtra border, some hidden armed Maoists opened indiscriminate fire in the direction of police party with the intention to kill them and thereafter to snatch away their arms and ammunition,” the police said.
The commandos made an appeal to the Maoists to stop the gunfire and surrender. But, disregarding the appeal made by police, the Maoists intensified firing. In order to counter the attack, the commandos opened retaliatory fire at the Maoists in self-defence. This ensued a gun battle between the Police and the Naxalites that lasted for about 30 to 45 minutes. Sensing mounting police pressure, the Maoists fled away from the place of incident taking cover of thick forest.
During the search operation that followed, security forces discovered the two bodies and recovered two SLR, one country made rifle, ammunition and a huge cache of Maoist belongings from the spot. An additional reinforcement was rushed to the spot and combing operation had been intensified.
For the first time, Gadchiroli Police has operated so deep outside the border of Maharashtra in joint coordination with Bijapur Police. Further process of registration of FIR is going on and the offence will be transferred to Bijapur Police for further investigation, the police said.
The successful operation was conducted under the guidance of Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal, Additional Superintendent of Police (operations) Anuj Tare, Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration) Kumar Chintha, Aheri Additional Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh and others.
Neelotpal appreciated the efforts and bravery of the C-60 commandos and vowed to intensify the operations against the Left Wing Extremists.
