12 Naxalites killed in Gadchiroli encounter carried Rs 86 lakh cash reward

The 12 Naxalites including three senior cadres who were killed in an encounter with security forces in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra carried a total cash reward of Rs 86 lakh on their heads police told PTI on ThursdayAccording to the police due to the success of the operation the entire KorchiTipagad and ChatgaonKasansur Dalams of Maoists have been wiped out reported PTIAs per the PTI report 12 Naxalites were killed in the encounter including five women and three security personnel injured The encounter took place on Wednesday near the Chhattisgarh border in the afternoon lasting around six hours an official saidCredible information was received yesterday morning that 12 to 15 members of the KorchiTipagad and ChatgaonKasansur joint local organisation squad LOS are camping in a forest area near the Chhattisgarh border in Wandoli village with an aim to carry out subversive activities in view of the upcoming Martyrs Week observed by Naxalites between July 28 and August 3 a release issued by the Superintendent of Police SP Gadchiroli office said reported PTIAccordingly seven units of the antiMaoist C60 squad led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Operations Vishal Nagargoje were immediately dispatched for the area search operation While the teams were engaged in the operation the Maoists indiscriminately fired at them which was retaliated strongly by the C60 teams it saidAs per the PTI report SP Neelotpal said in a press conference that the Maoists managed to flee into the dense forest upon witnessing the increasing police pressureAfter the exchange of fire a search was reportedly conducted in the area which led to the recovery of the bodies of seven male and five female Maoists he saidAccording to the PTI report besides the bodies the police recovered several firearms including seven automatic weapons three AK47 rifles two INSAS rifles one carbine gun and one selfloading rifle SLR Maoist literature explosives detonators and other belongings were recovered from the spot the SP addedNeelotpal noted The entire KorchiTipagad and ChatgaonKasansur LOS of Naxalites including three senior cadres of the rank of divisional committee members five area committee members and four Dalam members carrying a total reward of Rs 86 lakhs were wiped off in the encounterMost of north Gadchiroli has been cleared of armed Maoist formations he saidThe Maoists killed in the encounter were identified as Yogesh Tulavi alias Narendra 36 Vishal Atram alias Laxman 43 and Pramod Kachlami 31 All three were from ChatgaonKasansur Dalam with each carrying a reward of Rs 16 lakh the police saidThe other deceased Maharu Gawade 31 Anil Darro 28 Sarita Parsa 37 Rajjo Gawade 35 and Vijju were all area committee members from ChatgaonKasansur and KorchiTipagad LOS and each one carried a reward of Rs 6 lakh they saidBesides Chanda Podyam Sita Hawke Roja and Sagar all members of ChatgaonKasansur and KorchiTipagad LOS carried a reward of Rs two lakh on their headsNeelotpal said Since 2021 80 hardcore Maoists have been neutralised in Gadchiroli 102 Maoists were arrested and 29 others have surrendered before the Gadchiroli policeWith inputs from PTI