On April 21, two parties of C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police left their headquarters in Aheri and headed towards Bhamragarh, following a tip about a gathering of Maoists.

When Gadchiroli police mapped the Kasnasur-Boriya forest about a month ago as part of an exercise, little did they realise that their knowledge of the lay of the land would give them the advantage in a firefight.

“The commandos knew all escape routes and details, down to the height of each rock and the depth of the Indravati. We plugged all exit routes by the time the rebel cadres realised they were surrounded,” said Gadchiroli superintendent of police Abhinav Deshmukh. The mapping enabled forces to act quickly on a tip-off, move into the forest, and engage with Maoists, killing more than 30 in a three-hour gun battle.

“The topography was studied meticulously using GPS and incorporating maximum local geographic information,” said Deshmukh. The information was shared with everyone from commander to constable at the new C60 training centre.

On April 21, two parties of C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police left their headquarters in Aheri and headed towards Bhamragarh, following a tip about a gathering of Maoists.

Hours later, Deshmukh, additional Aheri SP A Raja, and additional Superintendent of Police (operations) Hari Balaji received information about another gathering in the Kasnasur-Boriya forest. “The location (near three hillocks on the banks of the Indravati river) was one Maoists considered a safe haven,” said Deshmukh.

Shortly after midnight, Deshmukh, Balaji and Raja decided to abandon the operation at Bhamragarh and send the forces to Kasnasur-Boriya. “We knew that sending just two parties to Kasnasur-Boriya would be a mistake. We needed an additional party as the terrain was different. The third party comprised Tadgaon Armed Outpost and Central Reserve Police Force.” The senior officers drew up a plan for troops to swoop down from three sides.

Cadres of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), Perimili local organisational squads (LOS), Aheri LOS, Platoon 7 and Gatta LOS had assembled at the base of hills. News of the meeting had come to police from Kasnasur village, where some rebels attended a wedding.

The forces left their vehicles near Tadgaon and trekked 12 km to the campsite. Reaching the place before daybreak was crucial as they wanted to take positions before the cadres realised they were surrounded. The rebels usually post sentries but they failed to spot the advancing troops.

The exchange of fire began at 8.45 am and continued till 11.30 am on April 22. Security forces lobbed grenades into the camp, and the rebels ran for cover. Some jumped into the river only to be picked off by troops on the opposite bank. “Most bodies were found near the escape routes,” Deshmukh said. “It was a harrowing task to carry the bodies back while remaining alert for escaped cadres to regroup and attack,” he said.