3 Maoists, Including Rs 25 Lakh Bounty Commander, Killed in Chhattisgarh

New Delhi: Three Maoists, including a top commander with a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, were killed in an operation by security forces in Chhattisgarh ’s Dantewada district on Tuesday at around 8 am. 

The gunfight erupted in a forested area near the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts, while a team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Naxalite operation. 

Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters, both units of the state police, were involved in an operation based on intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the forests of Girsapara, Nelgoda, Bodga, and Ikeli villages under the Geedam police station limits, an official reported.

After the exchange of fire ceased, the bodies of three male Maoists were recovered from the site. Authorities also recovered an INSAS rifle, a 303 rifle, explosive materials, and personal belongings from the scene.

Preliminary information suggests that one of the deceased Maoists, identified as Sudhir alias Sudhakar alias Murli, a resident of Warangal in Telangana, was an active member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, the Maoists' strongest formation. He had a bounty of Rs 25 lakh. The identities of the other two Maoists are still being verified.

The search operation in the area is ongoing.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently stated that the Narendra Modi government is adopting a ruthless approach against Naxalites and a zero-tolerance policy toward those who have not surrendered despite the opportunities provided. He assured that the country will be Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.

On March 20, security forces killed 30 Naxalites in two separate encounters in Bijapur and Kanker districts of the state.

With the latest action, 116 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year, with 100 of those deaths occurring in the Bastar division, which includes Bijapur and Dantewada.