MP’s Hawk Force inspector Ashish Sharma martyred in Naxal ambush on tri-state border

Balaghat/Raipur: In a tragic setback during an intensified anti-Naxal operation, Madhya Pradesh’s elite Hawk Force Inspector Ashish Sharma (40) was killed in a fierce encounter with Maoists on the Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border on Wednesday.

The encounter broke out in the dense forests near Kauhapani under Bortalab police station limits in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district. A joint team of Madhya Pradesh Hawk Force and Chhattisgarh Police was conducting a search-and-destroy operation when Maoists suddenly ambushed the party around 7 am.

According to police officials, the Maoists opened indiscriminate fire from elevated positions. The security personnel immediately retaliated, triggering an intense gun battle that lasted several hours.

During the exchange, Inspector Ashish Sharma sustained multiple bullet injuries. He was rushed to a hospital in nearby Dongargarh, where doctors declared him brought dead.

A resident of Balaghat district, Sharma was a decorated officer who had earned two gallantry medals for extraordinary courage in anti-Naxal operations. He played a pivotal role in the February 2025 encounter in the Raunda forests of Balaghat, where three dreaded female Maoists carrying rewards were eliminated. His consecutive promotions reflected his outstanding field record.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav expressed profound grief and announced that Inspector Sharma will be accorded a state funeral with full honours. “Ashish Sharma was a brave son of Madhya Pradesh who laid down his life fighting Left-Wing Extremism. His sacrifice will not go in vain,” the CM posted on X.

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma also paid tributes, stating that joint operations have been further intensified after the ambush.

Additional companies of CRPF and DRG have been deployed, and combing operations continue in the entire tri-junction area. This is the second major incident in the region within 48 hours, following the killing of 14 Naxalites, including top commander Madvi Hidma, in separate encounters along the Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border.

Security sources say the ambush was carried out by remnants of the Malajkhand-Tirodi-Platoon of CPI (Maoist), desperate after recent losses. Large quantities of arms, ammunition, and Maoist literature have been recovered from the encounter site so far.

Inspector Ashish Sharma is survived by his wife and two minor children.

IANS