Maoists caught between forces and river in Gadchiroli encounter

BHAMRAGARH(GADHCHIROLI): There is an uneasy calm on the banks of river Indravati, where 33 alleged Maoists were killed in a bloody encounter with the security forces on April 22 morning.

Blood stains, empty bullets shells, jerry cans, slippers and Maoist literature lay strewn all over the encounter site, which falls on the north bank of the river. The river divides Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh and the Maoist camp was on the Chhattisgarh side of river.

A close survey of the encounter site gives the impression that the Maoists were trapped by the security forces in a pincer move from the north, with a small hillock acting as a shield. Locals familiar with the terrain say the Maoists had no escape route except to jump into the river while firing back at the forces.

After the encounter ended, bodies of 16 Maoist were recovered from the sot. A day later, 15 bodies were spotted downstream, and on Wednesday two more bodies were found floating in the river. “The firing started around 6 am when the Maoists were engaged in their morning chores, some preparing food for the camp, others bathing in the river. We could hear the firing from my village Boriya, which is about three kilometers from the encounter site.

The Maoists seemed to have pitched their camp at the site on the intervening night of April 21 and April 22,” said Somnath Madavi, a local who accompanied this reporter to the encounter site.

Madavi was among the villagers of Boriya who helped the security forces fish out the bodies of the Maoists from the river.

“Some of the bodies were eaten by crocodiles and fish in the river hence they could not be identified,” added Madavi.

Along the river bank, tell-tale signs of camping were visible -tooth brush, tooth paste, injections, soap, water bottles, cans, undergarments, kitbags and bullets of automatic rifles (both live and used).

Some personal letters and other literature related to oppression of police forces in the area were also seen scattered near river bank.

Signs of exchange of gun fire were visible on tree trunks and rocks in a half-kilometer radius.

Locals from the two villages nearby said no civilian was killed or injured in the encounter. “There was a marriage ceremony on the intervening night of April 21 and April 22 in Kasansur village and many people were present there but no one is missing till now,” said Sannu Gavde.