New Delhi: Seven Naxalites, including top leader Prabhakar, were killed in encounters with police in eastern Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, while a police jawan also succumbed to the injuries suffered during a gunfight, officials said on Saturday.
At least seven Naxals, including top leader Prabhakar, were killed in encounters with a special force in eastern Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district on Friday, February 6.
The top leader, Naxal Prabhakar, from Telangana, had a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head. Prabhakar, alias Loketi Chandar Rao, was in-charge of the Maoists’ Gadchiroli Division Committee, West Sub-Zonal Bureau, and Company 10.
The Maharashtra police have been working on the anti-Naxal operation for the past three days in the Phodewada village on the Gadchiroli-Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh) border.
The officials received inputs about the presence of the cadres of company number 10 of the Maoists. An operation was launched on the night of February 3 after receiving the inputs of surviving cadres of Company No. 10, Gadchiroli Police stated in a release.
The special anti-Naxal force destroyed two Naxalite camps on Wednesday and later deployed four more C-60 units and one QAT (Quick Action Team) unit of the Central Reserve Police Force on February 5 to boost the force.
The C-60 is a Special combat force of the Maharashtra police to tackle Naxalites in the Gonda and Gadchiroli districts.
Seven Naxalites- four male and three female bodies- were recovered from the area along with three AK-47 rifles, one SLR, and one .303 rifle. The three bodies were retrieved on Thursday night, while the remaining four were recovered on the next day from the site.
Apart from top leader Prabhakar, other identities have not opened yet.
Jawan Deepak Chinna Madavi’s heroics
During the operation, C-60 jawan Deepak Chinna Madavi succumbed to injuries in the exchange. He neutralised two Maoists, but a bullet injury took his life away. Later on, Deepak was being airlifted to a Bhamragad hospital, and now on Saturday, he will be cremated at his native village with full honours.
Joga Madavi, another jawan, was also airlifted to the hospital after sustaining injuries on Thursday night. His condition is now stable, according to officials.