Good that he was arrested, it’s natural justice for me, says first wife of blast mastermind

Gadchiroli: At the tender age of 15, Sapna Wadde left the comfort of her home and family to join the Maoist movement in north Gadchiroli and fell in love with Dinkar Gota, then a dalam member, in 2006. In 2008, they got married in the forest of Talwargarh in north Gadchiroli.
After the arrest of Gota and his ‘junior colleague-turned-second wife’ Koreti on Wednesday by Gadchiroli police, Wadde said the development was natural justice for her.
“It’s good that he (Gota) got arrested along with her (Koreti),” she said as tears welled up the eyes of the former platoon 15 member. Sapna had around Rs4.5 lakh rewards on her head for 22 offences, including four murders, against her. She had also participated in big encounters like the one at Markegaon in which 15 police personnel were killed and at Hattigota in 2009 that ended up in the death of 16 cops.
In a meeting at Wargaon near Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border in June last year, the party officially brought the three face-to-face officially to sort out the issue and also warn Gota who was then the divisional committee member (DVCM) of Korchi dalam where Koreti too worked. Wadde worked in platoon number 15. Gota, rebelling against his party men, eloped with Koreti.
A stunned Sapna left her platoon and sought help from a relative, who is in police, expressing her wish to surrender. She is trained in operating Aks, SLR and machine guns.
As Sapna dedicatedly followed Gota and his ideology despite working separately, he rose to the rank of DVCM before ditching her with Koreti.
“Some senior ranked cadres like DVCMs do have such dubious records of luring junior cadres to establish relations and also faced actions for such behaviour,” she said.
Sapna recalled that DVCM Rupesh had fallen for one junior cadre, Nandini, following which he was demoted to just a member of Kasnasur dalam. Similarly, the incumbent commander of platoon 15 Kishor Kawde too was suspended while in Gatta dalam for maintaining relations with a junior cadre.
It was learnt that Gota was expecting action when he decided to elope. “I had come down heavily on him for making advances towards such a junior cadre despite being a senior member occupying a high post. The confrontation took place in front of seniors. He wanted to the leave the party, but the seniors objected. They told him to stay with me but he did not,” she said.
Krantikari adivasi mahila sangathan’, the women’s wing of Maoists, have made an appeal through banners and pamphlets to the tribal masses to observe the week between ‘March 8 and 14’ with special emphasis on the life and contribution of Savitribai Phule.
In the banners and pamphlets, found in the road between Uder and Burgi, the women’s wing has held the government policies responsible for increase in atrocities against women.
Sapna too underlined the fact that there is a special place in the hearts of Maoists regarding the women’s day celebration. “Maoists fight for gender equality,” she said.
In the line of fire
Women Maoists killed till date in Gadchiroli: 86
Women who have surrendered so far in district: 194
Women civilians murdered by Maoist: 22