Gadchiroli encounter will help control Maoist activities in region, says Chhattisgarh CM

Speaking on the recent encounter of 26 Maoists in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday, November 14, said that the encounter will help affect the Maoist movement in the region and further will help in controlling their activities. Speaking on the same, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that several big Maoist leaders have been arrested or are being killed in recent days and the recent encounter at the border of Chhattisgarh in Gadchiroli will affect their movement and further control Maoist activities.

"Earlier, a big Maoist leader was also caught in Jharkhand. In Gadchiroli, on the border of Chhattisgarh also 26 Maoists including a Maoist leader were killed", he said. As informed by senior police officials, a total of 26 Maoists including the top Maoist leader, Milind Teltumbde were killed in the encounter in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Saturday, November 13. Later, this was confirmed by Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Sunday. 

26 Maoists killed in Gadchiroli encounter

A fierce encounter led by the Maharashtra police at least killed 26 Maoists in the deep forest of Gyarapatti in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. The fatalities included the top MMC  (Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh confluence) zone head Milind Teltumbde who had a reward of Rs 50 lakh on his head followed by Korchi Dalam commander Kishan/Jaiman with the reward of Rs 8 lakh on him. According to District Superintendent of Police, Ankit Goyal, the police has so far recovered 26 bodies including 20 males and 6 females. 

The major encounter which started in the early hours of Saturday continued till evening with 26 fatalities among the Maoists. On the other hand, three police personnel were also injured and have been hospitalized. Apart from that, weapons in large numbers were also recovered from the site including six AK-47 rifles, one pistol, nine 12-bore guns, nine rifles, three .303 rifles, and one INSAS rifle.

The encounter was carried out by 16 teams of C-60 commandos with 500 personnel after receiving input regarding Maoists camping in the forest region. The Gadchiroli Police presently speculates there were at least 100 Maoists at the location during the encounter. Some of the killed Maoists belong to Gadchiroli while others were from Chhattisgarh. The number of militants in the region has increased significantly, and new recruits and youths are also being trained and inducted into their formation teams.

With agency inputs

Image: ANI/PTI