14 Naxalites killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband
Gariaband (PTI): At least 14 Naxalites, including a senior cadre, were killed in an encounter with security forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border in Gariaband district, police said on Tuesday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Maoists were killed in a joint operation by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), SoG Odisha and Chhattisgarh Police along the inter-state border.
He said that with the resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of the security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today.
“Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border," he said in a post on X.
According to the police, two women Naxalites were killed, and a CoBRA jawan was injured in an encounter during the joint operation earlier on Monday.
An official said a fresh exchange of fire took place late on Monday night and early Tuesday morning in a forest under the Mainpur police station area along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, in which 12 more Naxalites were gunned down.
With this, the toll in the operation was at 14, he said.
Gariaband Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha, in a statement, said that of the deceased, one has been identified as Jairam alias Chalpati, a central committee member of Maoist, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore.
He said the identity of the remaining killed cadres was yet to be ascertained.
The official said intermittent exchange of fire was still underway in the area, and the number of Maoist casualties may increase.
A joint team of security personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA from Chhattisgarh and Special Operation Group (SOG) from Odisha are involved in the operation, the official said.
He said the operation was launched on the night of January 19 based on intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, just 5 km from the border of Odisha's Nuapada district.
Two women Naxalites were neutralised during the operation on Monday, and a large cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered from the encounter site, the official said.
Hailing the security forces, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that under the double-engine government (BJP government at the Centre and the state), Chhattisgarh will get rid of the menace by March 2026.
Strengthening the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end Naxalism in the country and state by March 2026, the security forces have been continuously achieving success and moving rapidly towards fulfilling the target, he said.
"This success of the soldiers is commendable. I salute their bravery", Sai said.
With this encounter, 40 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year.
On January 16, twelve Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district. Later, Maoists, in a statement, admitted that 18 cadres were killed in the January 16 gunfight.
Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in the state.
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Surveillance intensified in Bengal border districts as killers of Suvendu's PA may flee out of state
Kolkata (PTI): Police stations in border districts of West Bengal intensified surveillance and searches as investigators suspect the involvement of professional shooters from neighbouring states in the killing of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide, a senior officer said on Friday.
The police are also investigating the role of local criminals who might have provided logistical support to the assailants, he said.
More than 36 hours after Adhikari's personal assistant Chandranath Rath was assassinated by motorcycle-borne gunmen at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district, the police are yet to make any arrest.
“A detailed investigation is underway. The manner in which the attack was carried out suggests extensive reconnaissance and the possible involvement of hired sharpshooters from outside the state,” a senior police officer told PTI.
He also said all police stations in border districts have been alerted.
"Checks are being carried out at multiple points, and CCTV footage from areas along Jessore Road is being thoroughly scanned,” another senior officer said.
According to probe findings, the gunmen allegedly followed Rath’s vehicle before launching the attack.
“The escape route of the gunmen indicates that they were familiar with the locality, or local criminals might have assisted them. Without local support, fleeing through the lanes so quickly would have been difficult,” the officer added.
The police, however, are yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder.
The police and detective department officers have launched extensive searches in and around Madhyamgram near Kolkata.
Heavy deployment of police and central forces has also been made in the area since the murder occurred on Wednesday night.
"A motorcycle used in the crime was registered in 2012 in the name of a resident of Burnpur in Asansol. However, the police found that no person by that name currently resides at the address given during the vehicle registration process," another officer said.
