This Police Commando Was Stabbed On Chest, Stripped Of AK-47, But Fought Bare-Handed And Chased Maoists Away

Confronting with Maoists is nothing new for C-60 (Maharashtra police’s special anti-Maoist unit) commando naik 33-year-old Gomji Mattami. But he might never forget his latest face-off with the red rebels. In fact, lying on the Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI) bed in Nagpur, badly wounded Mattami expects a gallantry award next year for his heroics.

Mattami, posted at Gadchiroli headquarters in Maharashtra, bare-handed got the better of four Maoists at Jambia Gatta in Etapalli taluka in the town despite being stabbed on his chest. 

The Times of India reported that he not only managed to wrest back his AK-47 rifle and three magazines while blood was oozing out from his chest, but also made the red guerrillas flee leaving behind the firearm and 10 live cartridges.

The newspaper report added that the incident took place on Sunday when an ‘action team’ of Maoists, comprising four operatives in plain clothes had surrounded Mattami when he was returning to Jambia Gatta police post after bandobast at the weekly market was called off.

“I was pinned down on the ground before could realise Maoists were attacking me. Four of them had surrounded me…One of them pulled out a pistol pointing at me and pulled the trigger. It failed to fire,” Mattam told ToI.

They then stabbed him on the chest to kill him and take his weapon, an AK-47, away. But little did they know that even in an injured condition, Mattami was going to give them a good fight. He chased them down, held one of them from the back and not only managed to take his rifle back, but also scared them enough to flee, leaving their firearms and 10 live cartridges behind.

Gadchiroli is one of the main Maoists-infested districts in Maharashtra.  In December last year, seven alleged members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) were killed in an encounter with the C-60 in the district. The dead Maoists included five women. Some weapons were also recovered from the spot of the encounter.

Gadchiroli, a tribal dominated district bordering Chhattisgarh, has seen a spurt in the Maoist activities last year after two calm years.

Three civilians and two CRPF men were killed by the Maoists in December in the district after which senior police officials, including an additional director general of Maharashtra Police, had been camping in Gadchiroli, reported The Hindu.