Police outpost comes up at seat of Reds’ Jantana Sarkar

NAGPUR: Maharashtra forces on Sunday pushed deeper into Abujmarh than ever before, establishing a fortified police outpost in a lightning 24-hour operation at Phulnar — an isolated village in south Gadchiroli’s Bhamragarh division near the Chhattisgarh border — long regarded as the CPI (Maoist) command spine where insurgents once dictated life and law.

Camp Gundurwahi stands exactly where the Maoists ran their Jantana Sarkar — the parallel govt that controlled the “Red Corridor” of Leftwing extremism for more than five decades. The camp becomes the eighth police installation in Abujmarh since 2023, marking the deepest penetration into India’s most entrenched Maoist belt.

The breakthrough aligns with Union home minister Amit Shah’s target of ending Maoist insurgency by March 31, 2026, through a mix of intelligence-driven security operations and rapid development in tribal belts. Shah has ruled out talks with armed groups, urging cadres to surrender and join mainstream life under the Centre’s rehabilitation policy.

For years, Phulnar–Gundurwahi functioned as an impenetrable headquarters. PLGA fighters marched in olive green. Landmines and ambushes made even approaches kilometres away perilous. Reaching Phulnar was impossible for seven months due to flooding of the Parlakota river in monsoon. The remaining months were barred by PLGA guns. “Now, the Tricolour will fly here,” a senior officer said.

The outpost was completed in a round-the-clock operation involving 1,050 personnel, including 1,000 C-60 commandos, 21 bomb-disposal squads, new constables, 500 special police officers, CRPF companies and private contractors. A convoy of four JCB bulldozers, seven trailers, two Poclain earthmoving machines and 25 trucks carved out a fully functional base with 12 porta cabins, Wi-Fi, RO plants, generator backup, toilets, watchtowers and bunkers.
Phulnar, barely 4km from Chhattisgarh and 20km from Bhamragarh, once housed the feared Company No. 10 of PLGA — responsible for the 2016 kidnapping and killing of a C-60 commando. Months ago, security forces gunned down four of its cadres.

Villagers repeatedly resisted police entry and openly backed Maoists until recently. Sunday signalled a sharp turn. More than 300 tribal residents from 10 surrounding villages attended the inauguration and Jan Jagran Melawa — a “people’s awakening” function. ADG (special operations) Chhering Dorje and Gadchiroli SP Neelotpal presided over the event.

Neelotpal said work would resume on roads, bridges, mobile towers at Koparshi and Phulnar, and a sub-primary health centre, followed by state transport buses. “Improved security will finally allow seamless connectivity between Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, boosting commerce and development,” he said.

Police launched a large civic outreach — distributing saris, blankets, utensils, mosquito nets, school kits, sports gear and food items while explaining govt schemes and peace benefits.

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