The End Of Naxalism In Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, Decades In Making

Maharashtra was one of the partially affected states and Gadchiroli was an integral part of the Maoist theatre, and it was an integral part of what the insurgents called the Dandakaranya region. Till about four months back Gadchiroli was among the worst affected Left Wing Extremist (LWE) districts in the country.

The Naxal insurgency thrived in the area as there were lot of sympathisers and supporters. The insurgency could not have thrived without ground support in the form of providing the Naxals all the assistance to survive in the jungle to act as their eyes and years on the ground and monitor the movement of the security forces.

The major strategy of the Maharashtra government in tackling the problem was community policing initiatives which was stepped up in the last five years and that considerably turned the tide in favour of the police. In the last four and half years there has not been a single recruitment of youth in the Maoist fold from Gadchiroli.

The worst of the Maoist insurgency was seen throughout the 2000s. The Gadchiroli Police set up special Anti-Naxal force known as the C-60 commandos to tackle the problem. C-60 commandos have been instrumental in disrupting the Maoist network, focusing on intelligence-driven operations with local tribals forming a key part of the force.

The major attacks in Gadchiroli have claimed lives of many policemen. Over 200 policemen security personnel have lost their lives.

From the Gadchiroli perspective, the turning point was the surrender of the Gadchiroli in-charge of the Company Number 10, Giridhar Tumreti who surrendered along with his wife in June 2024, before the then Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. When Giridhar laid down arms, it broke the backbone of the movement in Gadchiroli. 

From the national perspective, the surrender of Bhupati, who was the Spokesperson of the CPI (Maoist) and the was secretary of the Central Regional Bureau and a top man in the banned organisation was the undoubtedly the beginning of the end of Naxalism in the district. Bhupati was in-charge of the entire Dandakaranya region which was the hotbed of Maoism in the country. He laid down arms along with 60 other cadres and along with 54 weapons before the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on October 15, 2025.

The major attacks in Gadchiroli has seen massive loss of lives of security forces. In May 2009, Maoists killed 16 policemen in the jungles of Dhanora tehsil in Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra. In October, 2009, 17 policemen killed when Maoists ambushed them at Laheri police station in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. In March 2012, a bus carrying 40 CRPF personnel was blown up by a landmine, killing 12 deaths and injuring 28. In May 2019, a remotely triggered IED targeted a vehicle carrying 15 policemen and a driver, killing all 16.

In February 2026 seven Naxalites, including a senior leader named Prabhakar, were killed in an encounter near Phodewada. In November 2021, security forces achieved major success as 26 insurgents, including senior commander Milind Teltumbde, were killed in a major 10-hour firefight with the Maharashtra Police.