Gadchiroli encounter: Police recovers body of top Maoist leader Sukhlal Parchaki

In yet another development in the massive Maoist operation conducted by the special Maharashtra Police team in Gadchiroli, the body of another Naxal commander of the CPI (Maoist) was found at the encounter site on Tuesday. 

The dead body has been identified as the Naxal leader Sukhlal Parchaki (33), who was a wanted Maoist commander in the area. This has upped the toll of the Maoists eliminated during the encounter to 27. It is another star on the shoulders of the elite team of Maharashtra Police, as the slain Naxal commander carried a bounty of 25 lakhs. The information of his death was announced by a senior official of the Home Ministry, as reported by ANI. 
 

Another Naxal Commander found dead, death toll of Gadchiroli encounter rises to 27

The massive operation against the Maoists inhabiting the Mardintola forest of the eastern Gadchiroli district was conducted on 13 November, where a team of the C-60 Gadchiroli Commandos conducted searches. During the operation, an encounter broke out and the special police unit gunned down 27 Maoists including the brother of Bhima Koregaon accused Anand Teltumbde, top Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde and Sukhlal Parchaki.

This was one of the biggest operations conducted by the Maharashtra Police in recent years. Around sixteen teams of the anti-Maoist C-60 commandos, consisting of over 500 personnel had carried out the huge operation that started early on Saturday morning and had ended at 4 pm in the evening.

Reportedly, four security personnel were injured in the operation and were immediately escorted to Nagpur through helicopters. 

"We have recovered the bodies of 26 Maoists so far from the forest," said district Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal.

The gunbattle took place in the morning at Korchi in the Mardintola forest area when a C-60 Gadchiroli police commando team was conducting a search operation led by additional SP Soumya Munde, Goyal said.

Bhima Koregaon accused top maoist  leader Milind Teltumbde neutralised

Around 29 weapons were also seized by the armed forces. As per Gadchiroli police, Milind Teltumbde a.k.a Jeeva or Deepak was the head of the newly formed MMC zone (Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh confluence) of CPI(Maoist). Carrying a Rs 50 lakh bounty on his head, Teltumbde was one of the accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad violence case. Forces are still combing the forest area for detecting more Maoists.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) which is investigating the Bhima Koregaon case, has stated in its charge sheet that Milind Teltumbde was expanding the Naxal movement with the help of his elder brother Anand Teltumbde on the international level and took guidance from him.

Image: PTI