‘Maoists had gathered for tactical meeting when security forces surrounded them’

RAIPUR: Maoists had gathered in Bijapur district’s remote forests for a tactical counter offensive campaign (TCOC) meeting when security forces surrounded them, leading to a gunfight that killed 26 of them, Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma said a day after 30 members of banned CPI (Maoist) were killed in two separate encounters in the Bastar region on Thursday.

“Maoists had gathered in remote jungles for a tactical counter offensive campaign meeting when the security forces surrounded them,” Sharma, who handles the home portfolio, told reporters at the state assembly complex on Friday.

Apart from the 26 Maoists killed in Bijapur, four more were killed by a joint team of the Border Security Force (BSF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel of the state police in Kanker. A police jawan was also killed in the encounter in Bijapur, officials said.

Sharing details about the encounter, a senior police officer said 18 of the 30 slain Maoists, including 14 women, have been identified so far.

“Of 26 cadres killed in Bijapur, 18 have been identified so far and efforts are on to establish the identity of others. One of the Maoist leaders killed in Kanker was identified as Lokesh, the Platoon Commander of PLGA Company No. 5,” inspector general of police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told a Press conference on Friday.

He added: “Among those killed in Bijapur were West Bastar Divisional Committee member Sitto, who carried a bounty of ₹8 lakh. Sitto and her husband, Jithru, a commander of Maoist Platoon No. 13, were notorious for their role in spreading terror in the region for several years.”

“Eight of the slain cadres were identified as area committee members, each with a bounty of ₹5 lakh, while the remaining identified cadres were part of Platoon No. 13,” Sundarraj said.

A cache of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, SLRs, INSAS rifle, three .303 rifles, Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGL), and several other firearms, were recovered from the operation sites, he added.

Hailing the operation as a major achievement against Maoists, he said, “Over the last year, security forces have been successful in eliminating several cadres, and this operation has dealt a severe blow to their structure in the West Bastar division.”

Speaking about the operation, Vivekanand Sinha, additional director general of anti-naxal operation said, “It was a safe haven for the Maoists, who took advantage of the difficult terrain. After several unsuccessful attempts, our forces reached them based on pin-point intel inputs.”