12 Maoists shot in Gadchiroli, commandos get Rs 51,00,000 reward

At least 12 members of outlawed Maoist outfit People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) were shot dead in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli in a six-hour operation, involving 200 police commandos air dropped into the dense Wandoli forests near the Chhattisgarh border amid torrential rain. The forces fired more than 2,000 rounds during the gunfight - one of the most intense in recent decades against Maoist insurgents.
The operation was a big blow for PLGA in north Gadchiroli as its divisional committee member and Tippagarh dalam chief Laxman Atram, the commander of PLGA in the region, was killed. Sarita Parsa, a woman Maoist and Chatgaon dalam area committee member, was among the dead.
The Maoist death count is likely to go up as another body is suspected to be lying somewhere in the jungle. Security forces found seven automatic weapons, including three AK-47 assault rifles, two Insas rifles, and a carbine, at the site.
The commandos faced severe weather conditions, including five flooded nullahs, to reach the PLGA camp. The operation, led by DSP Vishal Nagargoje, was crucial as anti-mine combat vehicles were rendered immobile due to the floods. Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a reward of Rs 51,00,000 for the commandos.
Gadchiroli SP Neelotpal highlighted the element of surprise, saying the guerrillas did not expect an attack in such adverse weather. “We managed to reach the camp in the nick of time. Another hour lost in transit and the commandos would have been marooned,” he said.
Sub-inspector Satish Patil and C-60 trooper Shankar Potavi were wounded in the shootout. They were evacuated with assistance from Kanker police in Chhattisgarh and flown to Gadchiroli. Patil, who took a bullet in his right shoulder, was later shifted to Nagpur.