Flying high and saving life: Chopper pilot evacuates injured commando during Naxal encounter

PTI, Oct 24, 2024, 8:04 AM IST

Gadchiroli: A brave woman helicopter pilot evacuated a wounded police commando while putting her own life in danger right in the middle of a fierce encounter between security forces and Naxalites in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra three days ago.

The daredevilry of Captain Reena Varughese helped save the life of Kumod Atram, a commando of the Gadchiroli police’s elite C-60 unit, said an officer.

The daring act played out during an encounter in which five Naxalites, carrying a combined bounty of Rs 38 lakh, were neutralized by a joint team of local police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on October 21 in Koparshi forests of Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal told PTI that 21 teams of C-60 — an anti-Naxalite unit — and two of the CRPF’s Quick Action Team (QAT) led by senior officers spearheaded the encounter at two different locations in the forested area.

During the gun-battle, C-60 commando Atram sustained two bullet injuries and needed immediate evacuation, said the IPS officer.

Captain Varughese, pilot of Dauphin-N Pawan Hans helicopter, responding to an SOS call for evacuation, flew from Gadchiroli to straight into the ground zero where the encounter was underway, said the SP.

There was a risk of the helicopter being fired upon by Naxalites and they taking advantage of the precarious situation, he said.

Captain Varughese said after reaching the ground zero she realised the helicopter could not have good landing due to the uneven, rocky and forested terrain.

Without wasting time, she put her co-pilot in-charge of the helicopter and jumped off the cockpit when the chopper was 11 feet above ground. Captain Varughese, with the help of other commandos at the site, swiftly lifted the injured jawan and put him into the helicopter which then zoomed away.

Neelotpal said Atram was evacuated in the middle of the anti-Naxal operation and later admitted to a private hospital at Nagpur, around 175km from Gadchiroli.

The commando underwent an operation on Wednesday and his condition was stated to be stable now, said the officer.