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Naxal Encounter
The Chhattisgarh High Court has said anti-Naxal operations, being part of regular counter-insurgency measures undertaken by state or Central security forces, cannot be subjected to investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) unless exceptional circumstances warrant such intervention. The HC made the observation while dismissing a petition seeking an SIT probe into the killing of outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) Central Committee (CC) member K Ramachandra Reddy in an anti-Naxal operation in Narayanpur district last month. A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Judge Bibhu Datta Guru said on October 14 that ordering an SIT probe into such regular field operations would not only undermine the federal structure of policing powers but also set a precedent inconsistent with established legal and administrative principles. Reddy's son Raja Chandra (33), a resident of Theegalakuntapally in Telangana's Siddipet district, had filed the petition seeking the ...
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the Modi government will not rest until all Naxals either surrender, are caught, or are eliminated. Felicitating the CRPF, Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and CoBRA jawans who successfully carried out 'Operation Black Forest' on Karregutta hill in Chhattisgarh, Shah said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to making India Naxal-free. "The Modi government will not rest until all the Naxalites either surrender, are caught or eliminated," he said. Shah said the bravery and valour displayed by the jawans during Operation Black Forest will be remembered as a golden chapter in the history of anti-Naxal operations. Despite the heat, altitude, and threat of IEDs at every step, security forces carried out the operation with high morale and successfully destroyed a major Naxal base camp, he said. The material dump and supply chain of the Naxals established on Karregutta hill wer
Police and intelligence agencies have been keeping a close watch on activities of Maoist cadres and their overground supporters following the last week's killing of their top leader Basavaraju in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, officials said on Monday. In a statement attributed to Maoists and shared nearly a week after the encounter, the Naxals have admitted that a total of 28 cadres, including Basavaraju, were killed in the gun-battle. In one of the biggest strikes on Naxalites, security forces gunned down Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, general secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and 26 other cadres during a fierce encounter in forests of Abhujmad along Bijapur-Narayanpur inter-district border on May 21. Two jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of state police were also killed during the gunfight. In the statement dated May 25, shared on social media on Monday, Maoists claimed some cadres active in the unit of Basavaraju recently
A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday, police said. Two security personnel also sustained injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Naxalites during the same operation, they said. The gunfight took place in a forest of Munga village under Gangloor police station area when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a police official here said. The operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of Maoists' divisional committee member Dinesh Modiam, company no. 2 commander Vella and other leaders along with 30-40 cadres in Munga area, he said. The exchange of fire broke out when the patrolling team was cordoning off the area, he said. After the gunfight stopped, the body of a Naxalite, one 9 mm pistol, one IED, six remote switches used to trigger IEDs and other Maoist-related material were recovered from the spot, he said. "During the ...
A 10-km motorcycle ride through fields and dirt track followed by a 12-km climb of a hilly terrain take one to the site of Chhattisgarh's most successful counter-insurgency operation that eliminated 31 Naxalites. About 1,500 security personnel covered this arduous route as part of their 48-hour operation in the forest along Narayanpur and Dantewada districts border to inflict a crushing blow to Maoists, said officials on Saturday. This was the highest number of fatalities suffered by Maoists in a single operation since the state's creation 24 years ago and the offensive comes more than five months after 29 Naxalites, including higher-ranking cadres, were neutralised in an encounter with security personnel in Kanker district. Nearly 1,500 jawans of District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Dantewada and Narayanpur and Special Task Force were involved in the offensive, Dantewada Additional Superintendent of Police RK Barman told PTI. The crackdown was launched based on inputs about the prese
Six Naxalites killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district two days back were dreaded cadres carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 38 lakh, according to police. This operation is so far the biggest attack by security forces on People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) company no. 6, which is considered a pillar of the attacking force of Naxalites, the police said on Saturday. It has created an atmosphere of fear among Naxalites in east Bastar division, which is considered their strong formation, the police said. The encounter took place near Gobel and Thulthuli villages under Orcha police station limits on Friday. While police earlier said seven Naxalites were killed, they later revised the toll to six, that included three women. The deceased belonged to military company number 6 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and east Bastar division formations of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist), a police official said. "The ...
A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Tuesday morning, a senior police official said. The face off took place at around 6 am in a forest near Bandepara village under Madded police station limits, when a joint team of personnel from different security forces was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI. The operation was launched by personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard, Bastar Fighter, both units of state police, Special Task Force and the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) 170th battalion. They had inputs about the presence of senior Naxalites, including Madded area committee of Maoists in-charge Nagesh, its secretary Buchanna, member Vishwanath along with 15-20 armed cadres, in Koranjed-Bandepara forests, the official said. After the exchange of fire stopped, the body of a Naxalite and an AK-47 rifle were recovered from the spot, he said. The identi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday condoled the death of security personnel in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh, and said their valour will never be forgotten. Shah also said that the government will continue its fight against such enemies of peace and progress. "I bow to the sacrifices of our brave security personnel martyred while fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Nation will never forget their valour. My condolences are with their families. We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace & progress. May injured recover soon," he said in a tweet. At least five security personnel were killed and 30 others injured on Saturday in the encounter with Naxals in a forest along the border between Bijapur and Sukma districts in Chhattisgarh.