The operation took place in the dense forests of Dirangi and Phulnar villages in the Bhamragad taluka, based on intelligence received from confidential sources, official said
On February 10, 2025, a team of 18 commandos, along with two teams from the CRPF Quick Response Team (QRT), were dispatched to the forested region
The Gadchiroli Police in Maharashtra conducted a massive operation deep in the Maoist stronghold, destroying a major hideout. However, during the operation, A C-60 jawan was martyred during the raid, the officials said on Wednesday.
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The operation took place in the dense forests of Dirangi and Phulnar villages in the Bhamragad taluka, based on intelligence received from confidential sources, officials said, adding that it was found that armed Maoists had gathered in the area with plans for a violent attack.
"On February 10, 2025, a team of 18 commandos, along with two teams from the CRPF Quick Response Team (QRT), were dispatched to the forested region. The team launched a search operation in the area. While advancing cautiously, the police were met with a barrage of bullets from the Maoists who had detected the approaching force," an official statement said on Wednesday.
It said that in response, the police forces engaged in a fierce gunfight, returning fire to defend themselves. However, as the pressure from the police increased, the Maoists took advantage of the dense jungle to flee the scene.
During the operation, one of the C-60 member, Constable Mahesh Kawdu Nagulwar, was critically injured after being shot. Despite immediate evacuation by helicopter to the district hospital, he succumbed to his injuries and was martyred in the line of duty, the statement said.
C-60 is a special commando unit of the Maharashtra Police that fights Naxalism.
Following the encounter, the police team conducted a thorough search of the area, uncovering significant Maoist materials, including an approximately 100-foot long Cortex wire, 15 gelatin sticks, 4 detonators, solar plates, walkie-talkies, and other equipment used in daily operations by the Maoists, it said.
The Gadchiroli police officials have stated that the operation has significantly weakened the Maoist presence in the region, and further Maoist countermeasures are being planned to intensify the crackdown on insurgent activities.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state government will give financial assistance of Rs 2 crore to the family of constable Mahesh Nagulwar.
CM Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, said that during the operation against Naxalites, personnel of the C-60 commando unit successfully destroyed a Maoist camp in the Fulnar forest area of Bhamragad taluka in Gadchiroli.
