NAGPUR: A handful of armed Maoists of lower ranks fought to the death on Saturday, trying in vain to protect Central Committee (CC) member Milind Teltumbde, who carried a Rs50 lakh reward and had over 63 offences against him.
Their last stand in the forest of Mardintola in Dhanora subdivision, near Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, also helped some other top cadres escape.
Teltumbde, in-charge of Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh zone, was among 26 Maoists killed. Among the dead, six were women including Vimla alias Imla, who was Teltumbde’s bodyguard. Another of his bodyguards, Bhagatsingh, too was found dead.
Intermittent firing, including unprecedented heavy firing from either side at times, went on for almost 10 hours, it’s learnt. Four C60 jawans were injured in the encounter, now their condition is learnt to be stable.
On Sunday, SP Ankit Goyal confirmed the death of Teltumbde after he was identified as per the police Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by a surrendered Maoist at police headquarters. “We have informed Teltumbde’s wife (Angela Sontakey) about his death, but she is yet to reach to take the body,” said Goyal.
Some 29 weapons, including five AK-47s, one AKM with under-barrel grenade launcher, three Insas rifles, and one pistol were seized from the encounter site by C60 commandos. Substantial explosives and materials of daily use were also seized.
Also, on Sunday, Chhattisgarh police launched an operation on their side of the border in the region.
Sources from the district police said top cadres like divisional committee member Sukhpal Parcheki and Dandakaranya special zonal committee member Prabhakar too were probably present at the encounter site, but managed to sneak away amid heavy firing.
Teltumbde, who had survived several encounters narrowly, ran out of luck this time and was cornered.
Sources said C60 parties, which started the operation a day ago, had encircled the hillock and forested region in multiple layers, and laid ambushes plugging exit routes.
While the hilly and rocky terrain of the forested stretch helped top leaders and cadres flee despite raining bullets, Teltumbde got trapped on the hillock.
Sources said the C60 commandos were initially stunned by the unfamiliar style of heavy firing from the Maoists, who are known to be extremely frugal with ammunition. “The experienced C-60 commandos sensed something different in the volume of firing, and realized the rebels seemed to be protecting someone very important. Forces had no information of Teltumbde’s presence, but the manner in which the Maoists were aggressively firing made it a possibility,” said a source.
The C-60 commandos were led by Additional SP, Operations, Somay Munde, said SP Ankit Goyal, praising the efforts of the young IPS officer.
Sources further said Teltumbde was protected by a group of young cadres from Chhattisgarh, who are yet to be identified. “Though they knew their end was near, the group fought till the last breath to protect Teltumbde. Almost 80-90% of the neutralized Maoists laid down their lives for Teltumbde instead of fleeing,” said the source.
He added the small group kept the C60 commandos guessing for long about their next move. “Even after firing reduced from the Maoists side, and eventually their guns fell silent, the C60 commandos had to be very cautious,” said the source.
Kasansoor commander Sunnu (reward Rs8 lakh), divisional committee member Mahesh Gota (Rs16 reward on his head), DVC and company four commander Lokesh (reward Rs20 lakh) and Korchi dalam commander Kisan (reward Rs8 lakh) were among the other key cadres neutralized.
The bodies and materials seized from the slain Maoists were ferried to Kotgul by C60 jawans on foot, walking through the forest for almost 10km.
