Woman Maoist With Rs 25 Lakh Bounty Killed in Encounter with Security Forces in Chhattisgarh

Dantewada: A woman Maoist was found dead in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh; she was killed in an encounter with the security forces. Apart from the slain woman's body, a rifle and other ammunition were also found.

Woman Maoist Who Had Rs 25 Lakh Bounty, Killed in Encounter

A female Maoist was killed in an early morning gunfight on the borders of the insurgency-affected Dantewada and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division on Monday. Maoist DKSZCM Renuka alias Banu who has been killed in the encounter, was carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakh. 

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The dead female Naxalite has been identified as Renuka alias Banu alias Chaite alias Saraswati, a resident of Kadvendi, District Warangal. She was the press team in-charge of DKSZ and rank: SZCM. Security forces were conducting an anti-Maoist operation when an encounter ensued between the Maoists and the personnel. The exchange of fire is ongoing, and a search operation is still in progress.

According to the Dantewada Police, apart from the woman Maoist's body, the forces have also found an INSAS riffle, other ammunition and some items of regular use from the encounter site.

India Will Be Free from Naxalism by 2026: Home Minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently stated that the Narendra Modi government is taking a tough stance against Maoists, implementing a zero-tolerance policy for Maoists who have refused to surrender, despite being offered various incentives like rehabilitation and reintegration programs. He affirmed that India will be free of Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

On March 20, security forces killed 30 Naxalites in two separate encounters in Bijapur and Kanker districts of Chhattisgarh. With this latest operation, a total of 116 Naxalites have been killed in various encounters across the state this year. Of these, 100 were killed in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts such as Bijapur and Dantewada.