DGP IPS Sadanand Date greets IPS (Retired) K P Raghuvanshi with a bouquet in recognition of the latter’s contributions towards making Gadchiroli an armed-rebellion and Naxal-free zone.
The C-60, special anti-Naxal force, founder IPS (Retired) K P Raghuvanshi has been honoured at a special ceremony at the Maharashtra Police headquarters at Colaba, Mumbai. The recognition has been bestowed upon the seasoned anti-terror and anti-secessionist movement warrior in acknowledgment of his contributions made towards eradication of Naxalism and Maoism from the face of the earth.
The Maharashtra Police, presently steered by Director General of Police (DGP) IPS Sadanand Date, has conceded his contributions and the leadership role he played when he was posted in the Naxal-affected region in his early days in the police force.
All the senior police officers who have served in the Nagpur Range during the past four decades were present at the special ceremony. In 1990s, Raghuvanshi was posted in Gadchiroli district. During this stint, he chalked out a strategy to make the district Naxal-free and conceptualised the idea of a special anti-Naxal force. This special commando force was later given the name of C-60 as in early days it started its operations with just 60 commandos.
Since then the C-60 force has never looked back and grown into a full-fledged anti-Naxal operations unit. Over the past four decades, the anti-Naxal force has emerged as the sole warrior on the anti-secessionist movement’s front and helped the police in several ways eradicate Naxalism from the face of the earth. As many as 244 police officers and jawans have sacrificed their lives to end Naxalism and bring back the rebels to the mainstream’s fold.
Seeing this, the Government of India conferred 03 war-time Gallantry Medals, 06 President’s Gallantry Medals, 358 Police Bravery Medals on the anti-Naxal fighters. With all these sacrifices, in May this year, the Maharashra Police declared it has achieved its goal of making Gadchiroli an armed-rebellion and Naxal-free zone.
