Raipur: Two Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Monday at the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border in the Abujhmad region. The bodies of both Maoists and a large cache of weapons were recovered from the spot.
According to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj, the security forces launched an operation after receiving intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists. Following the encounter, a search led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, other weapons, a large quantity of explosives, and Maoist literature. At the time of filing the report, intermittent exchange of fire was still continuing. The identity of the slain Maoists has not yet been confirmed.
Recent operations against Maoists
- 18 September: In Bijapur and Gadchiroli, four Maoists were killed in two separate encounters. The slain Maoists included Raghu Hapka (member of the Gangalur Area Military Command, carrying a ₹5 lakh reward) and Sukku Hemla (party member with a ₹2 lakh reward).
- 11 September: In Gariaband district’s Mainpur police station area, 10 Maoists carrying a combined bounty of ₹5 crore were killed by security forces. Among them was Modem Balakrishna (Secretary of the Odisha State Committee, carrying a ₹1.5 crore reward). The operation was launched after Maoist Kailash, Balakrishna’s guard, surrendered and provided crucial information.
- 14 January: Earlier this year, in a major 80-hour operation in Gariaband, security forces killed 16 Maoists, including Central Committee member Chalpati (a native of Andhra Pradesh, carrying a ₹90 lakh reward).
Home Minister’s deadline to eliminate Maoism
The intensified anti-Maoist operations follow Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visits to Raipur and Jagdalpur, where he set a deadline of 31 March 2026 to completely eliminate Maoism from the country. Since then, operations in the Bastar region have been significantly intensified, leading to the killing of several senior Maoist leaders.
