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Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh launch operation against naxals

Rahi Gaikwad

15 police personnel killed in Sunday’s attack in Maharashtra

Police-naxal battle lasts for over an hour
We will intensify anti-naxal operations: Chavan

Mumbai: Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have launched a joint operation to track naxals who killed 15 police personnel in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.

In a most brutal naxal attack till date in Maharashtra, 15 police personnel were ambushed and killed by a hundred-strong group of naxals at Marke village, Dhanora taluka, around eight km from the Gyarapatti Katgul police outpost.

Around 11.15 a.m., a 15-member police party went to investigate an incident of arson by the naxals along the Sawargaon-Katgul road. The naxals had burnt down a roller and a tractor, where an overbridge is under construction. When the police entered the area, about five squads of naxals, with 20 cadres in each squad, started firing from all sides, said Vijay Chafle, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), at Gadchiroli.

The police, who were armed with eight AK 47s, two INSAS (Indian National Small Arms System), six self-loading rifles, one two-inch mortar and one pistol, retaliated, and a heavy exchange of fire followed. The battle lasted for over an hour, in which a sub-inspector and 14 constables lost their lives. The bodies of the slain policemen were badly mutilated.

During the course of the encounter, the police had sought reinforcements, and a second team of police officers set out on a rescue operation. However, they could not reach on time. “The area lies out of coverage and signals are very weak,” said Mr. Chafle. The naxals fired on the second team too, but no one was injured.

A helicopter belonging to the Chhattisgarh government was also commissioned. It reached around 3.30 p.m. whereas the encounter ended by 12 p.m., said Gadchiroli Collector Niranjan Kumar Sudhansu.

No arrests have been made so far. A police team is searching the area and combing operations are on at Dhanora, bordering Chhattisgarh, according to Mr. Sudhansu.

“Forces have been mobilised to track the attackers,” said Sandeep Bhaji Bhakare, sub-divisional police officer of Gadchiroli.

Chief Minster Ashok Chavan visited the district on Monday to offer his condolences. He said that at a recent Cabinet meeting in Delhi, it was perceived that naxalism in Maharashtra was on the decline. However, the recent incident was a sad development. The State would now intensify anti-naxal operations, he said.

Sunday’s attack is believed to be in retaliation to the arrest of 15 naxals last week by the Anti-Naxal Squad at Ettapalli taluka in Gadchiroli district. The district, a naxal stronghold, borders Chhattisgarh, and it has seen many a deadly attack. In 2008, four police officers were killed in the Rajaram Khanla region of south Gadchiroli. In 2006, seven police officers were killed in a landmine blast at Bewartola in Gondia district. In 2005, blasts in Gadchiroli and Gondia districts killed 14 police officers.

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