Madhya Pradesh’s elite anti-Maoist unit, Hawk Force, has lost one of its decorated officers after Inspector Ashish Sharma was killed during a fierce early morning encounter with armed Maoists in the dense forests near the Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra tri-junction on Wednesday.
According to police, around 8.30 am, during a joint operation by police forces from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra near the dense forests of the tri-junction between these states, Inspector Sharma sustained grievous bullet wounds in the thigh and abdomen while leading his team against a large, heavily armed, Maoist group deep inside Chhattisgarh territory.
Despite urgent medical efforts, including arrangements to airlift Sharma to a super-speciality hospital, he succumbed to his injuries at the Dongargarh Community Health Centre in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district. Authorities confirmed casualties on the Maoist side but the exact numbers remain undisclosed as the operation continues.
Inspector Sharma was a two-time gallantry medal recipient and one of the brightest officers in the Hawk Force, famous for leading daring operations. Earlier this year, he earned an out-of-turn promotion after a successful mission that neutralised three hardcore women Maoist operatives in the Raunda forests.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that Sharma “laid down his life while valiantly fighting Naxal insurgents in the forests of Rajnandgaon”.
“His unparalleled bravery and supreme sacrifice in the national campaign to eradicate Naxalism will forever be remembered and honoured. Inspector Sharma was twice awarded gallantry medals for his extraordinary courage and dedication to duty. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family; the entire state stands with them in this time of profound loss. We will continue to honour his legacy by resolutely pursuing peace and security for our people,” Yadav said.
This comes in the wake of the death of top-ranking Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh. The operation dealt a serious blow to the Naxalites and has also taken the country closer to realising the Centre’s plans of eradicating the Left-wing extremist movement by next year.