Daijiworld Media Network - Gondia

Gondia, Jan 31: In a major success against Left Wing Extremism, Gondia Police have seized a cache of weapons and explosives allegedly hidden by Naxalites in the Takezari–Bewartola Dam forest area under the Murkutdoh base camp region, falling in the Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh–Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone, police said.

Officials said the recovery was made during an operation launched based on information provided by surrendered Naxalites.

According to police, the seized material includes firearms and explosives, with weapons such as an AK-47 and SLR among the items recovered.

Police said the breakthrough followed a series of surrenders in the region. On November 28, 2025, MMC Zone spokesperson and SZCM Anant alias Vikas Navjot Nagapure reportedly surrendered along with 10 associates. Later, on December 13, 2025, Dareksa Area Committee Commander Roshan Bedja surrendered along with two associates.

With these developments, a total of 14 Naxalites linked to the Dareksa Area Committee in the GRB Division surrendered before Gondia Police.

Based on the inputs received from them, police raided the forest stretch near Takezari–Bewartola Dam, where an underground arms dump allegedly created by Maoists was located and recovered.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated that Naxalism is being eradicated rapidly and expressed confidence that it will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026.

Shah has said the number of districts most affected by Naxalism has come down to three, while only 11 districts still have some influence. He also noted that earlier 126 districts across 10 states were affected, but the figure has now been reduced significantly.

Further investigation is underway to trace the origin of the recovered weapons and identify remaining operatives in the area.