Gadchiroli’s dense forests witnessed a landmark anti-Naxal operation as security forces eliminated seven top-tier Maoists, dealing a crippling hit to their leadership. This three-night saga, spanning February 3 to 6, blended cutting-edge intel with boots-on-the-ground grit from Gadchiroli Police and CRPF.
A tip-off about a massive Maoist sabotage plan spurred 14 C-60 teams into action late February 3, led by SDPO Amar Mohite. The ambush hit on February 4 in the Gadchiroli-Narayanpur fringe: Maoists unleashed havoc, but commandos countered decisively, destroying camps despite the odds of night, hills, and undergrowth.
Day three saw reinforcements seal the noose. Three Maoists fell February 5, arms in tow; four more on the 6th. Key casualty: Prabhakar (57), Telangana-born overlord of Gadchiroli ops and Western bureau, with 113 charges and Rs 25 lakh reward. His comrades—Pagu, Anila, Kamesh, Bhajanath, Mangli, Jogi—added to a Rs 71 lakh collective bounty.
Seizures painted a picture of planned terror: multiple rifles (AK-47s x3, SLR, .303), 173 cartridges, BGLs, mags, detonators, wires, gelatin, docs, and gear. Amid valor, C-60’s Deepak Chinna Madavi made the supreme sacrifice; Joga Madavi fights on from injuries.
State honors for Deepak underscored the human toll, directed by top brass like ADG Dr. Chering Dorje, IG Ankit Goyal, and SP Neelotpal. Gadchiroli’s stats since 2021—99 killed, 140 nabbed, 153 surrendered—affirm a strategic surge, weakening Maoist strongholds and paving paths to normalcy.