7 ‘Maoists’ killed in Gadchiroli encounter

“Around 10.30 pm on Monday night, a police team spotted the Naxals a few kilometres from the village. An encounter ensued in which all the seven members of the group were killed,” Inspector General of Police (Nagpur range) Ravindra Kadam told The Indian Express.

Police identified the Maoists as 42-year-old Lalsu alias Bidal from Bastar, who was member of the North Gadchiroli-Gondia division of the CPI (Maoist), 28-year-old Sunil Tadami, Navin alais Sunil alias Durusingh Sattarsingh Tofa (28), Veeru alias Vinay Dulesh Kunjilal Naitam (40) and Rajesh Lalsu Soneray Tofa (27).
The dead women have been identified as Lalsu’s 26-year-old wife Shamko alias Shanta Korcha and Veeru’s wife Punni Ratti Narote (36). Police said both were members of the outfit and added  that a number of offences ranging between 26 and 48 were pending against the seven.

Police also recovered two AK-47, two SLR, one carbine, one .303, one 12-bore gun, a pistol and a walkie-talkie from the spot.

This has been the biggest success for the security forces in the Gadchiroli area in recent years.

The maximum Naxal casualty figure in an encounter till last year was six that took place at Govindgaon.

Monday’s operation was also significant for the quick intelligence inputs received by the police from the locals. “Growing and faster intelligence is also indicative of the fact that Naxals are losing public support,” said sources in the security forces.

Last year, 28 ‘Maoists’ were killed by security forces.

Top Maoist leader surrenders with wife
Rajnandgaon: A TOP Maoist leader, who is wanted in several murder cases and attacks on security forces, surrendered before the police along with his wife, who is also a Maoist, here on Tuesday. Bhagat Jade (27) and wife Vanoja alias Tijo Netam (21) were active in Rajnandgaon-Kanker border region that connects Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district to north Bastar in Chhattisgarh, said Additional Director General of Police (Naxal Operation) R K Vij. According to the police, differences cropped up between Bhagat and other senior cadres of the outfit after his brother Budhram Jade, a policeman, was allegedly kidnapped and killed by them.  Following which he decided to part ways with the Maoist activities along with his wife, the ADG said. Based on the couple’s information, three IEDs of 5 kgs each and a 10 kg unidirectional mine were recovered from Adjaad-Kamkasur hills by a joint squad of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and district force, he said.    PTI