Milind Baburao Teltumbde alias Deepak Teltumbde, the central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and head of the newly formed MMC zone (Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh confluence) zone of the rebels, was among the 26 killed in Saturday’s encounter in Gadchiroli, officials said on Sunday.

"Teltumbde was among 26 Maoists who were killed in Saturday's encounter," Gadchiroli superintendent of police Ankit Goyal said on Sunday, adding that identification of other slain rebels was underway.

In the gunbattle that took place at Korchi in eastern Maharashtra's Mardintola forest on Saturday, at least 26 Maoists were killed. According to people familiar with the development, Lokesh alias Mangu Podiyam, commander Company 4, and Mahesh alias Shivaji Ravji Ghote, DVCM, Kasansur squad were also killed along with Teltumbde.

It occurred when the C-60 police commando team, led by additional SP Soumya Munde, carried out a search operation. Among the most senior figures in the CPI(Maoist), Teltumbde alias Jeeva was the MMC zone's special zone secretary.  His elder brother Anand Telumbde, a well-known academician, is an under trial in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad violence case in which Milind was also an accused.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its October 2020 charge-sheet filed in the Elgar Parishad case said Milind was inspired by his elder brother to join the Maoist ranks. “Milind alias Deepak is expanding the Naxal movement of Maoist in urban areas with the help of his elder brother Anand Teltumbde on the international level and took guidance from him. Milind was inspired by his brother to join the CPI (Maoist) movement,” the NIA charge-sheet said.

In his task, he had to create a territory that would facilitate safe travel between the east and west for rebels and provide safe accommodation for senior rebel leaders.

According to senior intelligence officials, Teltumbde had been visiting the MMC regions regularly and had recruited 100 locals for his commando unit, called Vistaar Dalam. In the forests, Teltumbde used to travel with heavily armed bodyguards and a squad of Maoists. He took all major decisions for the outfit regarding the area, according to Pahaad Singh, who surrendered in 2018.

“He was the person who pushed the idea to develop Amarkantak as ‘base area’ of MMC, in a meeting in 2016, in which Central Committee Members (CCM) of the CPI (Maoists) including him were present,” a senior Indian Police officer (IPS) officer who interrogated Pahaad Singh, said.

Weapons recovered so far include five AK-47s, one AK with UBGL or under barrel grenade launcher, nine SLRs (self-loading rifles), one INSAS (Indian Small Arms System), three .303 rifles, nine 12 bore pistols. Further search is on, police officials said.

Image source: India Express