Gadchiroli Encounter: 31 gunned down as wedding turns funeral for Naxals

New Delhi: Kasansur, an innocuous village in Tadgaon Police station area of Gadchiroli was gearing up to celebrate a wedding on Saturday. But instead of festivities, the occasion turned into that of fear, anxiety and shock.

Thirty one Naxals were gunned down near the village on Sunday morning. Maharashtra Police acting on a tip-off, surrounded the Naxals on Sunday morning at the site where they gathered to attend the wedding. IG anti-Naxal operations Sharad Setlar said, “Two parties of C-60, the elite anti-Naxal force of Maharashtra were dispatched to the area after the tip off. They took two separate routes to reach the Naxals and surrounded them on Sunday morning. A warning to surrender was given, the encounter began when Naxals started firing.”

Police sources said C-60 split into two parties of 30 commandos each and ambushed the Naxals on the banks of Indravati river on Sunday.
Food packets found at the encounter site suggest that the Naxals had stopped for a meal when they were ambushed. Police sources have confirmed that under barrel grenade launchers (UBGL) were used in the operation, which perhaps explains the high casualty figure for Naxals.

Sources say, the sudden ambush and firepower took the Naxals by surprise and it is possible that some of them jumped into the river to escape.
Fifteen dead bodies were found floating in the Indravati river on Monday.

On Monday, a second encounter happened in the area. about 15 kilometers from the Kasanur site. In that encounter too, police claim to have killed six Naxals. It was not immediately clear if these six belonged to the same group of Naxals who were killed in Kasnasur.

11 bodies have been identified so far. The Union Home ministry has dismissed allegations of foul play.