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Ambush expert who decided against surrender: Who is L Prabhakar Rao, Maoist leader killed in Gadchiroli?

February 07, 2026 5 min read Internal Security GS3 (Internal Security Left Wing Extremism)
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What Happened

  • Seven Maoists, including top leader L Prabhakar Rao (alias Ravi/Swamy/Chander), were killed in encounters with Maharashtra's C-60 commando force in Gadchiroli district over a three-day operation beginning February 3, 2026.
  • Prabhakar Rao, aged 53, headed the West Sub-Zonal Bureau of the Gadchiroli Division Committee and led the feared "Company 10" armed unit of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). He carried a bounty of Rs 25 lakh.
  • The operation was launched based on intelligence inputs about movement of surviving cadres of Company No. 10 and an unidentified Naxalite formation from Chhattisgarh.
  • Four male and three female Maoist bodies were recovered along with three AK-47 rifles, one SLR, and one .303 rifle.
  • C-60 jawan Deepak Chinna Madavi (38), from Mandra village in Aheri tehsil, was martyred after neutralizing two Maoists in the exchange of fire.
  • Prabhakar Rao, originally from Isrojiwadi village in Kamareddy district, Telangana, had been underground since approximately 1995 and was involved in 113 criminal cases.

Static Topic Bridges

Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and the SAMADHAN Strategy

Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has been identified as the most significant internal security challenge by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The government's response has evolved from purely security-centric operations to a holistic approach combining development and security, encapsulated in the SAMADHAN strategy launched in 2017.

  • SAMADHAN stands for: Smart Leadership, Aggressive Strategy, Motivation and Training, Actionable Intelligence, Dashboard-based KRAs and KPIs, Harnessing Technology, Action Plan for Each Theatre, No Access to Financing.
  • Operation SAMADHAN-Prahar (launched 2017): Focuses on targeted strikes against Maoist camps in remote forests of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra. For the first time, security forces entered core Naxal-held areas deep inside forests.
  • LWE-affected districts reduced from 126 (in 90 districts across 2010) to 46 districts in 2023 per MHA data.
  • Geographical spread: Formerly across the "Red Corridor" stretching from Nepal border to Kerala; now concentrated in pockets of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra (Gadchiroli), and Telangana.
  • The CPI (Maoist), formed in 2004 from the merger of CPI (ML) People's War Group and Maoist Communist Centre, is the primary LWE organization, banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Connection to this news: The killing of Prabhakar Rao, a senior PLGA commander involved in 113 cases, represents a significant operational success under the ongoing SAMADHAN-Prahar framework. The recovery of weapons including AK-47s and SLRs indicates the degradation of Maoist armed capability in the Gadchiroli theatre.

C-60 Commando Force: Maharashtra's Anti-Naxal Unit

The C-60 is a specialized anti-Naxal commando force of the Maharashtra Police, established on December 1, 1990, by then-Superintendent of Police K.P. Raghuvanshi in Gadchiroli district. The force derives its name from its original strength of 60 commandos and has become one of India's most effective counter-insurgency units operating in Maoist-affected areas.

  • Founded in 1990 by SP K.P. Raghuvanshi (later DGP of Maharashtra) in response to escalating Maoist violence in Gadchiroli.
  • Recruitment from local tribal communities in Gadchiroli gives C-60 commandos familiarity with terrain, language, and local population, a critical operational advantage.
  • Training includes guerrilla warfare techniques at specialized institutions, including Greyhounds (Hyderabad, Telangana) and Hazaribag (then Bihar).
  • A second branch was created in 1994 as Naxal activities escalated.
  • Dual mandate: Counter-insurgency operations and facilitating Maoist surrenders and rehabilitation.
  • Naxalite activity first expanded into Maharashtra from then-Andhra Pradesh in the 1980s, with Gadchiroli (carved out of Chandrapur district in 1982) being the most affected.

Connection to this news: The C-60 force led the three-day operation that resulted in the elimination of Prabhakar Rao and six other Maoists. The martyrdom of C-60 jawan Deepak Chinna Madavi, himself a tribal from the district, illustrates both the force's local recruitment model and the continuing danger faced by these units.

People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA)

The People's Liberation Guerrilla Army is the armed wing of the CPI (Maoist), organized along military lines with a hierarchical command structure. The PLGA maintains armed formations called "companies" and "platoons" that carry out ambushes, attacks on security forces, and enforcement of Maoist diktat in their areas of influence.

  • Formed in December 2000 as the military wing of the then-People's War Group; restructured after the 2004 merger that created CPI (Maoist).
  • Organizational hierarchy: Central Military Commission --> Zonal/Sub-Zonal Bureau --> Division Committee --> Area Committee --> armed Companies/Platoons.
  • "Companies" typically comprise 50-100 armed cadres and operate as mobile guerrilla units in forested terrain.
  • PLGA observes December 2 as its founding day ("PLGA Day"), often marked by calls for bandh and sporadic violence.
  • Weapons typically include AK-47s, SLRs, .303 rifles, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
  • The Union government and state governments offer surrender and rehabilitation packages to Maoist cadres, with financial incentives ranging from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh depending on rank and bounty.

Connection to this news: Prabhakar Rao led Company 10, one of the active PLGA formations operating across the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border. His elimination, along with the recovery of military-grade weapons, disrupts the PLGA's command structure in the Gadchiroli sector.

Key Facts & Data

  • Maoists killed: 7 (4 male, 3 female); C-60 jawan martyred: Deepak Chinna Madavi (38).
  • Prabhakar Rao: Age 53, from Kamareddy, Telangana; underground since ~1995; bounty Rs 25 lakh; involved in 113 criminal cases.
  • Weapons recovered: 3 AK-47 rifles, 1 SLR, 1 .303 rifle.
  • C-60 established: December 1, 1990; founded by SP K.P. Raghuvanshi.
  • CPI (Maoist): Formed 2004, banned under UAPA.
  • SAMADHAN strategy: Launched 2017 by MHA.
  • LWE-affected districts: Reduced from 126 to 46 (MHA data).
  • PLGA: Founded December 2000 as armed wing of People's War Group.
  • Gadchiroli: Carved out of Chandrapur district in 1982; one of India's most LWE-affected districts.