Raipur/Narayanpur, July 17: In a significant boost to anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, Narayanpur Police along with the 58th battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) successfully recovered a concealed weapon dump belonging to Naxals during a joint search operation on Friday.

The coordinated effort was carried out in the dense forests under the Kohkameta police station area, aimed at strengthening security in the district’s Naxal-free zones and preventing the resurgence of extremist activities.

Acting on specific intelligence, the security personnel launched an intensive search in the Kachchapal forest region. After thorough combing, the teams discovered a well-hidden cache of arms and ammunition that Naxals had reportedly stashed away for future use.

The recovery marks another success in the sustained campaign to cleanse the area of leftover war material from earlier insurgent operations.

The police officials informed that items seized included one .303 rifle, one .315 rifle, and a locally made barrel launcher. Security forces also recovered 17 live cartridges of .303 bore, 10 live cartridges of 7.62 mm, and four 12-bore cartridges. Also, an empty .303 magazine, two cartridge fillers, and three .303 tracer rods were found at the site.

All the recovered materials have been carefully seized and handed over for further examination.

A formal case has been registered at the Kohkameta police station, and legal proceedings against the Naxal operatives involved are underway, the officials further said.

The police officials said the continued vigilance of Narayanpur Police and central security forces in the region will be maintained and even intensified.

For several months now, joint teams have been conducting regular and intensive search operations across the district’s vulnerable pockets. These proactive measures have led to the consistent recovery of weapons, explosives, and other contraband previously hidden by Naxal groups.

By systematically eliminating these hidden arsenals, the forces are not only disrupting potential militant activities but also reinforcing the atmosphere of peace and normalcy that residents have been experiencing in recent times.

Senior officials have praised the seamless coordination between the district police and the BSF unit, noting that such joint operations play a crucial role in maintaining law and order.

Local administration remains committed to sustaining pressure on anti-national elements while simultaneously focusing on development initiatives to win the trust of tribal communities.

The successful operation in Kachchapal forest is expected to further deter Naxal outfits from using the area as a safe haven for storing arms.

As security forces continue their pursuit, authorities have appealed to locals to share any relevant information that could help in neutralising remaining threats.

With multiple such recoveries reported in the recent past, Narayanpur district is steadily moving towards complete eradication of Naxal influence, paving the way for lasting peace and progress in the region.

Shares of tyre maker CEAT fell more than 9 per cent in early trade on Friday after the company reported a sharp decline in net profit in its June quarter earnings, with higher input costs squeezing margins despite healthy revenue growth.

The stock dropped as much as 9.3 per cent to an intraday low of Rs 3,473.05 on the BSE by 10:18 a.m., compared with its previous close of Rs 3,829.30.

The company reported a 96 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 4 crore in the first quarter of FY27, from Rs 112 crore in the corresponding period last year.

However, revenue from operations rose 22.4 per cent year-on-year to Rs 4,318 crore from Rs 3,529 crore, reflecting healthy demand across business segments.

According to the company, profitability came under pressure due to higher raw material costs triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Managing Director and CEO Arnab Banerjee said the company increased tyre prices in phases to partially offset the rise in input costs while maintaining demand and market share. He added that raw material prices are expected to remain elevated during the second quarter.

The company’s operating performance remained under pressure, with EBITDA declining 5.7 per cent to Rs 365 crore from Rs 387 crore a year earlier. EBITDA margin contracted to 8.5 per cent from 11 per cent.

Over the past one year, CEAT shares have declined around 8 per cent, underperforming the broader market. The stock has fallen more than 8 per cent in the last six months and nearly 6 per cent so far this year.

The stock has touched a 52-week high of Rs 4,431.60 and a 52-week low of Rs 3,006.50 on the BSE.

The sports circles in West Bengal have been rocked by the mysterious disappearance of a national level shooter, Damayanti Sen, from the Howrah Station near Kolkata since Thursday afternoon. The 15-year-old girl could not be traced till Friday morning despite frantic searches by her parents and the police.

As per the missing case registered by her parents at the local police station, Damayanti Sen, who had been recently selected for trials in the national team, went out of her residence on Thursday afternoon to purchase some household items and did not return home after that.

According to her parents, when she left the house to purchase some household items, the teenager was carrying her mobile phone.

After Damayanti Sen did not return home for quite some time, her family members started tracking her whereabouts and enquired about the teenager from her friends, shooting associates and relatives. Finally, after being unable to track her, they registered a missing diary at the local police station.

The police immediately started investigating the matter and finally they tracked the CCTV footage at Howrah Station, where Damayanti Sen was spotted moving between platform number four and platform number five of the station.

“That was the last time that she was spotted and we are now trying to track where she went from there,” said a local police officer. However, she could not be traced till Friday morning.

According to police sources, 15-year-old Damayanti Sen is a resident of 30/2, Umacharan Bhattacharjee Lane in Central Howrah.

According to the statement given to the police by her family members, ever since she was selected for the national team trials, she used to rise early daily for practice. Her parents categorically informed the police that she had no disagreement with any of her family members in the recent past.

Now the family members are wondering about the mystery behind the entire development. Her friends, neighbours and shooting teammates are equally worried about the disappearance of the teenager.

This is not the first time that the shooting circles in West Bengal have been rocked by a controversy.

In March last year, the West Bengal Rifle Association (WBRA) suspended Olympian and former Indian rifle coach Joydeep Karmakar from all shooting activities in the state. His suspension came after he made a series of social media posts in January last year accusing the association of corruption