Gadchiroli Encounter Sends Alarm Bells Ringing for TS Police
Hyderabad: The deaths of four Maoists of the TS committee in an encounter with security forces in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, have badly affected their movements from their safe havens in the national park at Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh to the border districts of Telangana state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The encounter has also established that the Maoists were planning subversive activities in Telangana state during elections in order to show their presence and about with fresh recruitments, sources said.
After the encounter, Gadchiroli SP Nilotpal stated that they got information only after the Maoists had crossed the Pranahita river. Crossing the state was ostensibly after Telangana state police intensified search operations, he said.
According to reliable sources, up to 15 TS state committee Maoists are taking shelter in the national park.
The four Maoists, who were killed by C-60 team members of Maharhashtra, included divisional zonal committee members Vargeesh and Mangtu and platoon members Kursang Raju and Kudimetta Venkatesh. The divisional zonal committee members were carrying a cash reward of Rs 16 lakh each, as announced by the Maharashtra government. The platoon members were carrying Rs 4 lakh reward each.
The C-60 is an elite police force of Maharashtra consisting of commandos, formed out of teh indigenous tribal population. They are well-acquainted with the local terrain and speak the local language, which gives them an upper hand during anti-Maoist operations.
Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla went to Gadchiroli and reviewed the arrangements for the Lok Sabha polls with the top cops on Friday. Meanwhile, the Telangana police have intensified coordination with the neighbouring state police.
Evidences active inter-state transit movement of Maoists
