Intelligence on February 3 alerted authorities to an imminent Maoist attack, prompting swift action. Gadchiroli’s C-60 commandos, 14 strong, ventured into the wilds under SDPO Amar Mohite. Dawn on February 4 brought the first clash: Maoists, entrenched and firing indiscriminately, met fierce retaliation that razed their hideouts.

Despite the dense canopy and treacherous paths hampering immediate sweeps, forces ramped up on day three with CRPF support. February 5 yielded three bodies and key weapons; February 6 added four more. Standouts among the dead: Prabhakar, the 57-year-old divisional chief with a Rs 25 lakh price on his head and over 100 cases, plus six other notorious operatives totaling Rs 71 lakh in bounties.

Troops seized a bounty of arms—three AK-47s, an SLR, .303 rifle, ample ammo, explosives, and propaganda material. The cost was steep: valiant C-60 fighter Deepak Chinna Madavi fell, and comrade Joga Madavi was wounded but recovering.

Tributes poured in for Deepak at a solemn ceremony, as leaders from ADG Dr. Chering Dorje to SP Neelotpal hailed the coordinated C-60-CRPF effort. This success builds on Gadchiroli’s impressive record since 2021: 99 Maoists down, 140 captured, 153 surrendered. Such operations erode the Maoists’ grip, fostering hope for lasting peace in these volatile forests.