Nagpur: The Gadchiroli police received major recognition ahead of the Republic Day 2026, with 31 personnel — mostly elite C-60 commandos — bestowed with gallantry medals for the 2018 Kasnasur-Boriya encounter that killed 34 Maoists in Maharashtra’s biggest single anti-insurgency success so far.According to the list released by the govt on Sunday, the Gadchiroli police are second in the country this year, behind Jammu and Kashmir Police with 34 medals for their ongoing operations against militancy.
The Kasnasur-Boriya action remained the most successful operation by any security agency until last year, when Chhattisgarh Police recovered bodies of 39 Maoists after an encounter.Among the medal recipients was one of Gadchiroli’s most accomplished encounter specialists, Wasudeo Madavi, recently promoted to assistant police inspector on an accelerated basis for his exemplary efforts. Madavi has been credited with 101 successful encounters and has received multiple gallantry awards for his operational record.Another notable mention is constable Mohan Usendi who earned the medal for the second time for his contributions in combating left-wing extremism. Two constable, Sudhakar Bitoji Veladi and Kare Irpa Atram, were awarded the medals posthumously for their ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Procedural and legal issues linking the Boriya-Kasnasur and Nainar actions kept the commandos waiting nearly seven years for formal recognition. The medals honour the April 2018 operation at Kasnasur-Boriya on the Indravati riverbank along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, where a major Maoist camp had been operating in terrain once considered nearly inaccessible.On the night of April 26, 2018, C-60 commandos launched a carefully planned assault based on specific intelligence. At around 3.30am, they struck and neutralised 34 Maoists, including senior leaders, without any police casualties. At around 3.30am, the commandos struck with precision, neutralising 34 Maoists, including several top leaders. No casualties were reported on the police side.The Kasnasur-Boriya operation marked a turning point in the battle against Left-wing extremism in eastern Maharashtra. It showcased the dramatic strengthening of the Gadchiroli police’s intelligence network, enabling them to penetrate deep into previously untouchable Maoist strongholds.The riverbank strike delivered the first major jolt to Naxal operations in the region, initiating a steady decline in their influence.Since then, the momentum only grew. In the last two years, 10 new police outposts were established around Abujmarh, the erstwhile Maoist headquarters in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, further tightening pressure on the insurgents. Official records now indicate that only nine Maoists remain active in Gadchiroli. With the national deadline of March 31 approaching for Maoists to surrender or face intensified action, authorities are optimistic that Gadchiroli will soon be declared free of the red menace. BOX394 police personnel promotedThe Gadchiroli police on Sunday announced promotions for 394 personnel, including accelerated promotions for 10 serving officers and posthumous elevations for 14 martyred ones. Superintendent of police Neelotpal and senior officers felicitated the awardees, hailing their contributions to peace in the region. This brings Gadchiroli’s tally in recent years to three Shaurya Chakras and over 200 police gallantry medals, cementing its role as a frontline defender against Maoism.
