2 women Maoists killed in encounter at Gadchiroli

The Gadchiroli Police launched an operation based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the forest adjoining Modaske village under Gatta Jambhiya police station limits in Etapalli taluka, officials said.

Speaking to mediaperons, Gadchiroli SP Neelotpal said, “We got credible intel that the Maoists of Gatta Dalam had camped in the Modaske forest area, after which the Gadchiroli police, C-60 units, and the CRPF battalion left for the spot. The encounter lasted for over an hour.”

“During the search operations inside the forest, the Maoists opened indiscriminate fire at the C-60 team, prompting security forces to retaliate. In the ensuing encounter, two female Maoists were killed,” an officer said.

The two Maoists were identified as Sumitra alias Sunita Veladi (38) and Lalita alias Laddo alias Sandhya Korsa (34).

Sumitra, a resident of Madveli in Gadchiroli’s Aheri, was the commander of the Gatta Dalam and carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh.

Sumitra had over 31 cases registered against her, including 14 encounters, 12 murders, three incidents of arson, and several other cases.

Lalita was a resident of Neltola Chhattisgarh’s Kanker.

She was an Area Committee Member (ACM) with a bounty of Rs 6 lakh. Lalita was booked in 14 cases, including eight encounters, four murders, arson, and other offences.

From the site of the encounter, Gadchiroli Police seized one AK-47 rifle, one pistol, over 37 live rounds, and two walkie-talkies and Maoist literature.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of ADG (Special Operations) Dr Chhering Dorje, Special IGP (ANO) Sandip Patil, DIG (Gadchiroli Range) Ankit Goyal, DIG (Operations) CRPF Ajai Kumar Sharma, SP Gadchiroli Neelotpal, and Commandant 191 Bn CRPF Satya Prakash.

It was led on the ground by Additional SP (Aheri) Satya Sai Karthik, along with C-60, AOP Gatta (J), and CRPF commandos.

Anti-Maoist operations are being further intensified in the area.

Since 2021, sustained efforts by Gadchiroli Police have led to the neutralisation of 93 hardcore Maoists, the arrest of 130, and the surrender of 75 before police.

SP Neelotpal has once again appealed to Maoists to lay down their arms and join the mainstream of development.