14 Naxals killed in Maha district
■ Rajnath speaks to CM, takes stock of Gadchiroli situation
Mumbai, April 22: Fourteen Naxals were killed on Sunday in an encounter with the police in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, a senior official said.
He said a team of C- 60 commandos, a specialised combat unit of the Gadchiroli police, carried out the operation.
“Fourteen naxals were killed in the encounter. The combing operations are still on,” said inspector general of police Sharad Shelar.
He said the combing operation, which started in the morning, was currently underway at Tadgaon forest in Bhamragad, around 750 kilometres from here. Director general of police Satish Mathur congratulated the C- 60 team which participated in the encounter.
“In an operation in Kasanasur jungle area bordering Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, an exchange of fire took place between C- 60 commandos and Maoists. During searches, more than 12 naxals’ dead bodies have been recovered from the spot. Further searches are going on at the site,” Mr Mathur said.
The DGP said there was a possibility that Naxal leaders of “DVC ranks,” Sainath and Sinu alias Srikant, were among those killed.
“This is the biggest success ever in the Dandakaranya area by any anti- Naxal force. There are no major injuries on our side,” he said. Notably, the police parties are still in operation in the area.
“More details are awaited. The count may also go up,” he added.
Soon after the development, home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, called up Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and took stock of the security situation in Gadchiroli district.
During the telephonic conversation, the chief minister briefed the home minister on the details of the operation in which the Maoists were killed.
Mr Singh also discussed with Mr Fadnavis about the Left- Wing Extremism situation in Gadchiroli district and other related issues, the ministry official said.