In Balaghat’s dense forests at Kauhapani, near the Boratlav police station, security forces uncovered a huge stash of anti‑government material belonging to Maoist insurgents who operate along the tri‑state border of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
Within hours, roughly 300 officers from the three states converged on the area, expanding the search perimeter to a 15‑kilometre radius. Over the next three days, teams trekking through thick jungle, ravines and hilltops prevented the militants from slipping away.
The operation’s second phase, led by the Chhattisgarh Special Task Force, the District Reserve Guard (DRG) units from Rajnandgaon, Mohla‑Manpur‑Ambagarh Chouki and others, finally pinned down the insurgents’ temporary camp on November 22. When the troops arrived, the panicked Maoists fled deeper into the woods, hurrying to leave everything behind. The raid produced a large cache of items: olive‑green uniforms and packs, solar panels with charging kits, walkie‑talkie sets and batteries, explosives and detonators, tents, tarpaulin sheets, cooking gear and, in abundance, rations, diaries, letters and propaganda material.
The joint anti‑LWE operation began on November 19, triggered by specific intelligence that a group of Maoists was hiding in the hills. The following day escalated into a fierce firefight, during which Inspector Ashish Sharma of Balaghat district police was killed while bravely leading the assault from the front. His sacrifice rallied the troops to secure the perimeter more tightly.
Blood trails a few hundred metres from the clash site suggest that at least three insurgents received serious gunshot wounds, one of whom remains in critical condition. Intelligence revealed that the retreating squad attempted urgently to secure medical aid and a doctor from nearby villages, but local tribals, fed up with years of Maoist extortion, refused to help.
Six specialized teams – including STF Baghera and DRG units from Mohla and Rajnandgaon – carried out the final push. All seized items have been transferred for forensic analysis. Officials described the haul as one of the largest in the region this year, delivering a significant logistical and psychological blow to the shrinking Maoist group.
“Our intensified campaign will not pause until the last Naxalite is either neutralised or surrenders,” a senior officer assured.
sktr/pgh
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