Kalahandi Maoist encounter: How it happened and Intelligence Wing’s action

The Special Intelligence Wing (SIW) is now in limelight after the fierce encounter in which three Maoists were killed in Kalahandi forest on Tuesday. It was probably for the first that the SIW team was directly involved in a direct exchange of fire with the ultras.

SIW’s primary role is to monitor the movement of the Maoists and pass on the necessary information to the DVF, SOG and other security forces deployed in anti-naxal operations in Odisha. The officers of SIW have showed exemplary courage and gunned down three Maoists in Taparanga Reserve Forest under M Rampur police limits based on a specific intelligence input regarding the presence of armed Maoist cadres.

The SIW initially got an intelligence tip-off regarding the presence of 20 to 30 Maoists in a camp and that some of the ultras had come to the village to buy ration. A four-member team led by DSP Atul Das reached the village and immediately alerted Kalahandi police.

As the rebels started to leave the village, the SIW team decided to go ahead with the operation all by itself without waiting for Special Operations Group (SOG). The team warned the rebels to surrender, but they opened fire. In retaliatory firing, three Maoists were killed. It is suspected that the killed Maoists belong to the KKBN division. One AK47 assault rifle and two other weapons were seized from them.

In the exchange of fire, the DSP also sustained bullet injuries and was airlifted to Bhubaneswar for treatment.

Even though the SIW is mainly concentrating on passing crucial information to the groups engaged in combing and anti-naxal operations, they still have the capability to deal with small operations on its own.

“SIW of Odisha Police have done a good operation and killed three Maoists,” said Odisha DGP on Tuesday.

ADG (Operations) Amitav Thakur said, “As AK47 has been recovered along with other weapons, we suspect that the deceased Maoists could be top cadres of KKBN division.”

Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal and other senior officials met the injured DSP at AIIMS Bhubaneswar today. After surgery, the bullet lodged in the injured DSP's body has been successfully removed by the doctors. His condition is said to be stable. Meanwhile, search and combing operation is still continuing in Kalahandi forest.

Also Read: Kalahandi encounter: Bullet removed from injured DSP’s body; combing operation continues