Maharashtra to Award Special ‘C-60 Medal’ to Anti-Maoist Personnel: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai, March 2026 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that personnel who have served for at least three years in the C-60 force will be awarded a special ‘C-60 Medal’ by the state government for their role in the fight against Maoism.

He said that Maharashtra Police has achieved decisive success against Maoist activities, which have now been reduced to a negligible level in the state. The next major challenge, he added, is to prevent any revival of the movement.

The announcement was made during the half-yearly conference of senior police officers held at the office of the Director General of Police in the presence of senior officials, including ministers and top administrative and police officers.

Highlighting progress in regions like Gadchiroli, the Chief Minister said development is now visible and democratic institutions are strengthening. He noted that 244 police personnel were martyred and 609 civilians lost their lives in the anti-Maoist conflict.

Fadnavis emphasised the need for modern technology in policing, calling for end-to-end digitisation of crime investigation and the judicial process. He said that processes from detection to evidence collection and filing of charge sheets should be fully digital to strengthen accuracy and the chain of evidence. He also proposed expanding a blockchain-based evidence management system, currently implemented in Navi Mumbai, across the state within six months to prevent tampering.

He directed the CID to analyse cases with low conviction rates and called for a clear standard operating procedure and roadmap to improve convictions in serious crimes. He also stressed the need for a performance evaluation dashboard for police and government prosecutors.

On road safety, the Chief Minister noted that experiments in Nagpur and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway have helped reduce accidents, and called for wider adoption of such strategies to lower fatalities.

Addressing cyber security, he emphasised stronger coordination with social media platforms to ensure prompt removal of objectionable content and prevent delays. He also warned about increasing radicalisation in cyberspace and urged proactive measures to tackle it.

Fadnavis highlighted the importance of internal communication within the police force, urging senior officers to engage directly with junior staff and understand their concerns. He said leadership should inspire by example and encouraged officers to strengthen communication with the public.

Reiterating a strict stance on crime, he directed police to implement a zero-tolerance policy and take strong action against drug-related offences, calling them a threat to future generations. He made it clear that illegal activities will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

The Chief Minister also noted significant progress in reducing pending forensic cases, which earlier ranged between 200,000 to 300,000, and stressed the need to eliminate backlog completely and move towards real-time forensic processing.

To motivate personnel, he suggested introducing a monthly award system for outstanding performance, while also recommending guidance and support for those not meeting expectations.